The Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, NTAC, Dr. Yusuf Yakub has conducted a debriefing exercise for fifteen volunteers who recently completed a two-year technical assistance assignment in the Republic of Uganda, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to international development cooperation, capacity building and South-South collaboration.
In a statement by the Head, Information and Public Relations of the Aid Corps, Ojo Olubunmi, the Director General of the NTAC, Dr. Yakub, commended the volunteers for serving as worthy ambassadors of Nigeria and for making significant contributions to teaching, research, mentorship and community development in two Ugandan universities.
The Director-General described the debriefing exercise as an integral part of the Agency’s operational process, providing a platform for returning volunteers to share their experiences, celebrate achievements, identify challenges encountered during their service and make recommendations that will further strengthen future deployments under the Technical Aid Corps Scheme.
He reaffirmed “the Agency’s commitment to achieving even greater results, assuring that every batch of volunteers deployed to recipient countries would continue to uphold the tradition of excellence in capacity, character and commitment for which the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps is renowned.”
Dr. Yakub expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support to NTAC through the 4D Foreign Policy Initiative, noting that the administration’s backing has enabled the Agency to deepen Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy and continue advancing the ideals of South-South Cooperation across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific countries.
He also appreciated the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, for their continued support towards the growth and sustainability of the Technical Aid Corps Scheme.
According to him, “Nigeria has sustained the Technical Aid Corps Scheme for 38 uninterrupted years, deploying over 10,000 highly skilled professionals to more than 40 partner countries.” “Through this programme, we continue to strengthen South-South Cooperation, project Nigeria’s soft power and build enduring friendships across the world. The positive feedback and excellent results from our host countries clearly demonstrate that Nigeria is making a meaningful impact on humanity through technical assistance,” he re-emphasised.
The Director-General urged the returning volunteers to leverage the knowledge, skills and international exposure acquired during their assignments to contribute meaningfully to national development and the advancement of their respective professions and institutions.
The Director of Programme Ambassador Bello Jaye appreciated the Director General for his commitment to the well-being of volunteers in the different countries they’ve been deployed to and officially presented the returnee volunteers to the Director General.
READ ALSO:Minister Reaffirms Commitment to Nigeria–UK Gender Development Cooperation
Speaking on behalf of the volunteers, the team leader, Professor Clement Gboyega, expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the leadership of NTAC for the opportunity to serve the nation abroad.
He noted that “the volunteers made significant contributions in teaching, research, academic administration and humanitarian outreach, while further enhancing Nigeria’s image and strengthening bilateral relations with the Republic of Uganda”.
Enhancing Effectiveness
The debriefing exercise featured interactive sessions during which the volunteers shared valuable experiences, success stories, lessons learnt and practical recommendations aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and impact of future deployments under the Technical Aid Corps Scheme.
Since its establishment in 1987, the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps has remained at the forefront of Nigeria’s technical diplomacy by deploying skilled Nigerian professionals to partner countries, promoting goodwill, fostering sustainable development and advancing the nation’s foreign policy objectives through technical cooperation.
