Educational exchange: DTAC deploys 16 volunteers to Liberia Friday – DG
By Maureen Okon
The Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC) said on Wednesday that 16 volunteers from Nigeria would be deployed to Liberia on Friday for knowledge exchange in furtherance of efforts to bridge the educational gap in Africa.
The Director-General (DG) of DTAC, Dr Yusuf Yakub, said this at a pre-departure news conference of Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this will be Yakub’s first official assignment since he assumed office as the directorate’s D-G on Aug. 28.
The D-G said that the deployment of the 16 volunteers from Nigeria was at the request of Liberian President George Weah.
He added that the deployment is in line with the mandate of DTAC to fill the gap for Africa, a task Nigeria’s founding fathers hoped for Africa.
According to him, in strict compliance with President Bola Tinubu’s mandate to all officials of his administration, the current management of the directorate, on assuming office, set out a Three-Point Agenda at DTAC, in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda.
“This centres on the following: Repositioning, Re-energising, and Re-engineering DTAC for better and broader relevance in the affairs of our nation.
“I would like to inform you that we hope to deliver to the nation in no distant time. Today’s occasion is one such move, which will be followed by others.
“We, therefore, request the buy-in of everyone here and the support of the press toward making a success of all that we intend to do here.
“The TAC volunteers to Liberia, the recipient country, have undergone rigorous and painstaking processes for months of planning and working through various details.
“For us here, our business is to continue to facilitate the recruitment and orientation of Nigerian professionals in diverse fields of endeavour for deployment to recipient countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific where their professional ingenuity is highly needed.
“This is what our nation has continued to do since 1987 when the Directorate was established and was perfected by an Act of Parliament No. 27 in 1993.
“I would like to, therefore, congratulate all the volunteers here, who of course, will appreciate today’s programme especially, given the painstaking processes that have brought you thus far.
“For the avoidance of doubt, and for more information for the members of the press here, this group of volunteers has evolved from a long range of processes that includes response to adverts, shortlisting of qualified applicants, interviews and selection as well as other processes,” he said.
He further said that “as part of the commitment of the volunteers, and as you are aware, there is a tripartite agreement and commitment between us as the Federal Republic of Nigeria and you as volunteers on one hand.
He added that the volunteers must conduct themselves as Ambassadors of Nigeria and they must not fail Nigeria and their host country in transferring knowledge to bridge the gap in the educational sector.
“Knowing that you have received the requisite orientation on the demands of the TAC Scheme and all that is required from you per time.
“It is, therefore, expected that your involvement in this journey for service to humanity and country must be one that will be characterised and guided by the following:
“Patriotism, Discipline, Commitment to Service, Obedience to primary authority and, Commitment to the Agreement you have entered with your nation, Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the volunteers would spend the next two years for their primary assignment in their recipient country.
Also, a period has been earmarked to offer the volunteers the opportunity to exact impact on their professional calling and the enabling environment to be their best in actualising the goals of the TAC Scheme.
DTAC also said that the Nigerian Mission in Monrovia will continue to remain accessible to all volunteers for guidance, direction, cooperation, and complaints on any matter they might have.
NAN reports that some of the volunteers applauded the initiative of the Nigerian Government through DTAC for giving them such an opportunity to impact knowledge to African countries in need to bridge the educational gap.
Also, for them, the volunteers have the opportunity to increase their professional careers. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
ETIM/YEE
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(Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)
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