The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has commended President Bola Tinubu for his support in soft power diplomacy, which has continued to project Nigeria’s image throughout the world.
Addressing the returning 25 volunteers from the Republic of The Gambia and Sierra Leone following the successful completion of their two-year international assignments, Dr. Yakub congratulated the volunteers on their safe return and commended their exceptional service, describing them as worthy Ambassadors who projected Nigeria’s image positively through the country’s Technical Aid Programme.
Dr. Yakub expressed profound appreciation to “President Tinubu for his unwavering support for the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps”.
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“The Administration’s 4D Foreign Policy has reinvigorated Nigeria’s Technical Aid Programme and strengthened Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific,” he noted
The Director General also appreciated the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, for her consistent support towards the successful implementation of the Corps’ programmes.
Dr. Yakub further announced that the NTAC would intensify its engagement with the media and civil society organisations to enhance public awareness of the Agency’s contributions to Nigeria’s international development efforts and foreign policy objectives.
He highlighted the “remarkable achievements of the returning volunteers, noting that they made Nigeria proud through outstanding contributions to education, healthcare, institutional development and capacity building in their respective host countries”.
Speaking on developments in The Gambia, the Director General disclosed that until the completion of their assignments and return to Nigeria, “NTAC volunteers occupied strategic leadership positions in higher institutions, including Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Deans and Directors”.
According to him, their contributions played a significant role in strengthening the Gambia University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology and other institutions, culminating in the graduation of over 951 engineering students during a recent convocation ceremony.
He further revealed that the Government of the Gambia had expressed deep appreciation for the invaluable services of the Nigerian volunteers, with some Ministries requesting that the volunteers remain in the country because of the remarkable impact they had made.
In Sierra Leone, the Director-General praised the volunteers for their exceptional contributions to the country’s health sector.
He particularly commended a “Nigerian volunteer whose nursing practice compendium has been adopted nationally to standardise nursing practice across Sierra Leone, describing the feat as a landmark achievement that will continue to improve healthcare delivery in the country”.
Dr. Yakub reiterated that the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, established in 1987 as an instrument of Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy, has deployed over 10,000 professionals to more than 40 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific over the past 38 years.
He encouraged the returning volunteers to apply the knowledge, skills and international experience acquired during their assignments to improve service delivery in their respective institutions at home, emphasising that they now possess broader perspectives capable of making meaningful contributions to Nigeria’s national development.
Speaking on behalf of the returning volunteers from Sierra Leone, Dr. Chizoba Ukwoma, a medical doctor, expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government and the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps for the opportunity to serve the nation abroad.
Dr. Ukwoma stated that “Nigerian healthcare professionals contributed significantly to reducing maternal and child mortality in several hospitals through improved clinical practices and quality healthcare services”.
Similarly, the Team Leader of the volunteers in The Gambia, Dr. Mohammed Gborigi Katung, said the Nigerian delegation played a pivotal role in curriculum development, institutional reforms and policy formulation that supported the transformation of the Gambia Technical Training Institute into the Gambia University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology.
Professor Nazimat Bakinde, one of the returning volunteers, recounted her experience as the first substantive female Vice-Chancellor of the Gambian University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology.
She described the assignment as a “life-changing opportunity that strengthened her leadership capacity while showcasing Nigeria’s excellence in higher education”.
Professor Bakinde further disclosed that “Nigerian volunteers established the University’s management structure, developed its official anthem and occupied several key administrative positions that laid a solid foundation for the institution’s growth.”
The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps reaffirmed its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives through technical cooperation, capacity building and the deployment of skilled professionals to friendly countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
