The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has debriefed 15 volunteers who recently completed a two-year technical assistance mission in the Republic of Uganda, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to capacity building, international development cooperation and South-South collaboration.
Speaking during the debriefing at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NTAC, Yusuf Buba Yakub, commended the volunteers for serving as worthy ambassadors of Nigeria and contributing to teaching, research, mentorship and community development in two Ugandan universities.
He described the exercise as a critical aspect of the agency’s operations, providing an opportunity for returning volunteers to share their experiences, achievements, challenges and recommendations to improve future deployments under the Technical Aid Corps Scheme.
Yakub assured that NTAC would continue to strengthen its programmes to ensure that every batch of volunteers deployed to partner countries upholds the agency’s tradition of excellence, professionalism and commitment.
He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for supporting NTAC through the administration’s 4D Foreign Policy Initiative, which he said has enabled the agency to expand Nigeria’s soft-power diplomacy and advance the ideals of South-South cooperation across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
He equally acknowledged the support of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, for sustaining the Technical Aid Corps Scheme.
According to the NTAC boss, Nigeria has sustained the Technical Aid Corps Scheme for 38 uninterrupted years, deploying more than 10,000 skilled professionals to over 40 partner countries.
He maintained that the programme had continued to strengthen bilateral relations, project Nigeria’s positive image abroad and contribute to sustainable development through technical assistance.
Yakub urged the returning volunteers to apply the knowledge, skills and international exposure gained during their assignments to support national development and advance their respective professions.
Earlier, NTAC’s Director of Programmes, Ambassador Bello Jaye, commended the Director-General for prioritising the welfare of volunteers and formally presented the returning team to the agency’s leadership.
Speaking on behalf of the volunteers, the team leader, Prof. Clement Afolabi Gboyega, thanked the Federal Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NTAC for the opportunity to serve the country abroad.
Prof. Gboyega said the volunteers made meaningful contributions in teaching, research, academic administration and humanitarian outreach while helping to strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and Uganda.
The debriefing featured interactive sessions where the volunteers shared their experiences, lessons learnt and recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of future technical assistance deployments.
Established in 1987, NTAC has remained a key instrument of Nigeria’s foreign policy by deploying skilled professionals to partner countries to promote goodwill, sustainable development and international cooperation.
