Abuja: Dr Yusuf Yakub, Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), announced that the agency has deployed no fewer than 10,000 professionals to over 40 countries since its inception. Yakub made this statement in Abuja during the deployment ceremony of 18 Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers to Liberia and Rwanda.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Yakub expressed satisfaction in deploying doctors, teachers, and instructors to support Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu. He expressed gratitude to the volunteers for responding to the national call, emphasizing that the mission aligns with President Tinubu’s 4-D foreign policy thrust: Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora.
Yakub remarked, “I am delighted to deploy you this morning to Rwanda and Liberia to serve as ambassadors of our country. All of this is made possible through the 4-D foreign policy of President Tinubu, which has revived and repositioned the Technical Aid Corps for greater global impact.”
He further noted that President Tinubu’s foreign policy direction has enabled NTAC to carry out deployments as frequently as three times a month, enhancing Nigeria’s global presence and diplomatic relationships. Yakub highlighted that President Tinubu’s commitment to soft power diplomacy has positioned Nigeria as a preferred partner for many nations worldwide, using knowledge and skills to bolster regional cooperation.
Yakub expressed his appreciation to President Tinubu for supporting NTAC, which now acts as a tool for projecting Nigeria’s values in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific (ACP) countries. “NTAC is the key instrument of soft power diplomacy, enabling us to share our human capital through technical aid with fellow black nations in the ACP regions,” he stated.
He emphasized that Nigeria, endowed with rich human resources, should focus on exporting expertise to sister countries rather than seeking foreign assistance for capabilities it already possesses. According to him, the deployments are designed to bridge educational and professional gaps in these nations, facilitating south-south cooperation and development.
Earlier, Amb. Zakari Usman, Director of Programmes at NTAC, praised the Director-General’s commitment to elevating Nigeria’s global standing through the consistent deployment of volunteers. He also lauded President Tinubu for amplifying the deployment initiative and urged the volunteers to represent Nigeria with honor in their host countries.
Prof. Solomon Ogbu, Team Lead of the volunteers and a professor of International Relations, commended the President’s ongoing support for the soft power initiative. He expressed gratitude to the Director-General for the invaluable opportunity to serve Nigeria abroad, pledging that the team would uphold the national flag and make the country proud.