Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for public diplomacy through deliberate media push to inform Nigerians about the work of the Ministry and the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps, NTAC as part of a new grand strategy to reposition Nigeria’s foreign policy around the 4-Ds Foreign Policy doctrine.
The 4-Ds policy include: Democracy, Development, Demography, Diaspora.
The Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye made the call during a courtesy visit by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NTAC, Dr. Yusuf Yakub, who led a delegation of the agency’s management to brief the Minister in Abuja.
In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, Ambassador Enikanolaiye said visibility is now as important as delivery as such there was the need to create more awareness for Nigerians to know what is being done in the Ministry and NTAC.
“Despite the enormous job done by the Agency and the Ministry in general, Nigerians have not been fully aware of the work of NTAC and the Ministry, hence the urgent call for robust public diplomacy.”
“Nigerians have not been fully aware of the work of the Technical Aid Corps and Ministry of Foreign Affairs; we must up our game in the media. I know it costs money, but we must do it,” he said.
Well funded Communications
He commended the Ministry’s Spokesperson for ongoing efforts in publicising timely the activities and programmes of the Ministry, but stressed that a deliberate, well-funded communications plan was now non-negotiable.
He appreciated the NTAC DG for a long-standing relationship and for sustaining the agency despite funding challenges.
“Technical Aid Corps and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are like sons and fathers. 4D, we should see ourselves as partners and family,” the Minister said.
The Minister noted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Ministry is undertaking a “grand strategic” realignment rearranging the entire system around Nigerian national interest.
The Minister said “NTAC’s work is centered on the 4Ds Foreign Policy: Demography, Democracy, Development, and Diaspora, I commend the DG for achieving much with little resources.”
Ambassador Enikanolaiye said that presently, the whole Ministry is going through comprehensive reforms to reposition it for a better and more efficient service delivery in line with its constitutional mandate.
Earlier, the Director-General of the NTAC, Dr. Yakub said that the Technical Aid Corps was established in 1987 as an instrument of Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy, designed to provide technical assistance and professional expertise to developing nations, particularly within Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Regions.
“NTAC reflects a deliberate shift from direct financial aid towards the deployment of human capital as a more sustainable form of development cooperation. This policy direction underscored Nigeria’s commitment to South-South Cooperation and capacity building in States facing developmental challenges,” he said
Speaking on achievements of the Agency, the Director-General asserted that since its inception, NTAC has deployed over ten thousand professionals to more than forty countries, notably Jamaica, The Gambia, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Grenada, Equatorial Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, Zanzibar (Tanzania), Uganda, Seychelles, Guinea-Bissau, as well as Benin Republic and several other countries within the Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Regions.
He further noted that under his leadership, the agency has witnessed unprecedented transformation, having aligned its programmes with the 4D foreign policy objectives of Mr. President.
“The administration has made efforts to expand its scope of cooperation in the Caribbean region, following the recent visit of Mr. President to St. Lucia, where an NTAC country agreement was signed between the two countries,” he said.
He also stated that the current expansion is in response to growing international demand for Nigerian professionals to enhance the economic value of the scheme while sustaining its core diplomatic objectives.
“Countries such as Jamaica are having advanced discussions about engaging the services of a large number of Nigerian health professionals to be fully paid for by the government of Jamaica,” he said.
All Round Transformation
The Director General informed the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs that NTAC is actively pursuing the conclusion and formalisation of TAC agreements with Zambia, Ethiopia, Angola, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. The process, he said has reached an advanced stage, with continuous exchanges of official correspondence between the respective authorities.
He said it is anticipated that these engagements will be concluded and sealed in the near future, thereby expanding NTAC’s operational footprint and strengthening bilateral cooperation across the recipient countries.
“Nigerian Technical Aid Corps remains committed to advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy goals by promoting technical cooperation and sustainable development. As a key instrument of Nigeria’s foreign policy, NTAC will continue to strengthen bilateral relations and foster mutually beneficial partnerships with Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Regions countries and other developing nations,” he said
Currently, a total of 274 volunteers are serving in 13 countries within Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific countries.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Ahmed, dwelt on the need to consider Digital Volunteer Management, a digital database of Nigerian experts available for international assignments, virtual technical assistance through remote technical support, alongside physical deployments, Diaspora integration, results-based monitoring and evaluation, Youth-focused technical diplomacy.
Also, encouraging joint innovation projects with host countries, Regional and South-South cooperation, etc. to reposition the agency to achieve more tangible and sustainable results in furtherance of Nigeria’s foreign policy goals.
”NTAC will sustain its contributions to capacity building, knowledge transfer and institutional strengthening in beneficiary countries. By deepening South-South Cooperation, NTAC will continue to project Nigeria’s values, expertise and leadership in international fora while ensuring that the impact of Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy remains long-lasting and transformative,’‘ he said.
The TAC scheme has facilitated the transfer of knowledge in critical sectors and has contributed to human capacity development in recipient countries.
