Technical Aid Corps Enhancing Nigeria’s Image Abroad – Official

Muhyideen Jimoh
Dec, Sat, 2023

Foreign

Technical Aid Corps enhancing Nigeria’s image abroad – Official

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By Maureen Okon

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commended the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC) for sustaining the scheme which has become a very valuable foreign policy tool for Nigeria.

Mr Tope Ajayi, the Director Policy and Statistics in the ministry, made the remarks during a ceremony to receive 13 Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers who returned to Nigeria after serving in Guinea-Bissau for two years.

He said that the success stories recorded from the volunteers was encouraging and the TAC as a component of soft power diplomacy, has positively projected Nigeria in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP).

“Since the inception of TAC, we have recorded a lot of successes, and this is one area that people have always been alluding to that has recorded huge success in terms of foreign policy conduct of Nigeria.

“So, we are happy, in the ministry we are very proud of the strides DTAC has been achieving and we hope to support TAC in all areas.

“I am here technically representing the Minister, and he has conveyed his goodwill to the DG for the good work they have been doing since he assumed office, and is encouraging them to do more,’’ Ajayi said.

The Director-General of DTAC, Dr Yusuf Yakub, explained that the 13 volunteers were medical doctors who helped to transform the health system in Guinea-Bissau.
“When you send your children out and they went, saw, conquer and came back intact, healthy and alive with good testimonies, then the parents will say thank God.

“So our great medical doctors volunteers, thank you for your sacrifices to your dear country,” Yakub said.

He said, “This programme is one of the soft power diplomacy to show our potentials as Nigerians to our brothers in the ACP nations.

“Also, for the past 35 years, we have been deploying experts in different fields and they have been delivering the technical services that they were invited to deliver.

“We want to assure our brothers in the ACP nations that Nigeria as a big brother in Africa, will continue to fill the gaps that exist in any of these countries in terms of providing technical services.

“And going forward, we may even go beyond delivering technical services but also other services,” the DG added.

He appreciated the new foreign policy direction of President Bola Tinubu, anchored on Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora.

“It is a very beautiful foreign policy that will turn the name of Nigeria around among the comity of nations,’’ Yakub said.

Dr Adama George, a Consultant Pediatrician who spoke on behalf of the returnees, said that they contributed immensely in fixing Guinea-Bissau’s poor medical system.

“We left here two years ago to Guinea-Bissau, it was a place nobody wanted to go to, but today Guinea-Bissau has become a beautiful bride because of the efforts we put in.

“Our mandate was to go and improve on the health system of that country and that, we did to the best of our ability. We were deployed to the country’s various departments and also to their regions.

“The problem they had was a problem that Nigeria has, so it’s an African thing; it was not difficult for us to key into the system and impact greatly into their health system.

“In as much as they did not want us to leave, but whatever has a beginning, has an ending,’’ he said.

Earlier, Mohammed Mohammed, DTAC Director Programmes, congratulated the 13 medical doctors for their meritorious service, and representing Nigeria well in Guinea-Bissau.

He said so far, 46 TAC volunteers have returned home from Nov. 26 to date.

“We started returning the volunteers on Nov. 26. We debrief 23 volunteers from Ugandan, followed by 10 and now 13 from Guinea-Bissau,’’ Mohammed added. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

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