Abuja: Dr. Yusuf Yakub, Director-General of the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), has announced that under President Bola Tinubu’s 4D policy, NTAC has been repositioned as a strategic tool for Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy. The announcement was made during a presentation of NTAC’s three-year scorecard at a media event held at the corps’ headquarters in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Yakub praised President Tinubu for the trust placed in him since his appointment in August 2023. He also expressed gratitude to the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Assembly Committees on Foreign Affairs, Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, and NTAC staff for their support. Yakub emphasized the importance of media engagement in keeping both Nigerians and the international community informed about government activities.
Established in 1987, NTAC has deployed over 10,000 Nigerian professionals to more than 40 countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific over the past 38 years. The most in-demand areas for Nigerian professionals include education, medicine, engineering, agriculture, and science and technology.
Under Tinubu’s leadership, NTAC has been revitalized with a renewed focus and strategic direction aligned with the 4D foreign policy framework-Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora. The 4D policy has also inspired Yakub’s 3R Agenda, focusing on Repositioning, Retooling, and Re-engineering NTAC.
Yakub highlighted the revitalization of the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Scheme as a key achievement, noting its role in renewing national consciousness about technical assistance as a diplomatic tool. The corps has consistently deployed professionals, with volunteers returning in 2026 from countries like Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia after completing two-year assignments.
Improving volunteer welfare has been a priority, with prompt payment of allowances, accommodation, and welfare services, as well as monitoring, debriefing, and reintegration of volunteers. Yakub emphasized the value of the TAC scheme, saying, “Every naira spent on the TAC scheme ultimately represents an investment in a Nigerian serving Nigeria’s international interest.”
The visibility of Nigerian volunteers in positions of responsibility has been increasing. In The Gambia, volunteers have contributed significantly to sectors like education, administration, legal, and medical systems. This contribution led to a recent visit to NTAC by The Gambia’s Minister for Higher Education. Nigerian lecturers have also been appointed to key academic positions in host universities.
Yakub stressed the importance of soft power diplomacy beyond traditional settings, citing a Nigerian nurse in Guinea-Bissau who delivered a baby under challenging conditions, and a Nigerian agricultural expert in Uganda who innovated by transforming banana fiber into building materials.
NTAC is working to transform technical assistance into a mutually beneficial cooperation platform, where Nigeria can both give and receive knowledge. The corps is also exploring structured arrangements for countries that require Nigerian expertise to engage professionals for a fee, aiming to curb irregular migration, known locally as the ‘Japa Syndrome.’
Yakub also highlighted institutional and infrastructural improvements, noting that NTAC’s headquarters has been remodeled and refurnished, with new vehicles acquired to support operations and visiting diplomats. Training programs for officers and Foreign Service officials have commenced, and debriefing returning volunteers has become a core component to capture lessons and contribute to national human capital development.
NTAC’s efforts have helped reverse Nigeria’s perception from being merely a recipient of Sustainable Development Goals support to being recognized as a major contributor through its deployment of technical manpower to ACP countries. Yakub emphasized the importance of volunteers serving as good ambassadors of Nigeria, stating, “You are not merely going abroad to work; you are going abroad to represent Nigeria, and you are Nigeria.”