Abuja: Eight Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Volunteers are set to be deployed to Seychelles and The Gambia to bridge educational and professional gaps, according to the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC). Dr. Yusuf Yakub, the Director-General and CEO of NTAC, announced this during a deployment exercise held for the volunteers in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Yakub emphasized that the deployment aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy agenda, which focuses on Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora. He highlighted this initiative as a key component of Nigeria’s soft-power diplomacy strategy in African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. Under the current administration, the program has reached its peak, deploying over 10,000 volunteers to more than 40 countries across the ACP regions.
Dr. Yakub urged the volunteers-five of whom are destined for The Gambia and three for Seychelles-to view their assignments as both a national and humanitarian service. He reminded them that their conduct abroad would represent Nigeria’s image and charged them to uphold high standards of professionalism, discipline, and conduct. He assured the volunteers that their welfare would be well-catered for by the Federal Government and that Nigerian embassies in the host countries would serve as their guardians upon arrival.
Yakub also noted that Nigeria has become a leading exporter of skilled labor on the continent, contributing significantly to global development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He revealed that NTAC has introduced a new initiative to export skilled labor for a fee, aiming to reduce illegal migration and promote dignified mobility for Nigerian professionals.
Speaking on behalf of the volunteers, Dr. Mohammed Suleiman expressed gratitude for the opportunity and pledged that the team would serve as worthy ambassadors of Nigeria in their host communities.