By Maureen Okon, News Agency of Nigeria(NAN)
Established in 1987, the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) serves as a key foreign policy tool under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It was designed to provide technical assistance to African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries as a strategic alternative to direct monetary aid.
Foreign affairs analysts say the scheme has creditably acquitted itself ever since, fostering bilateral and triangular relations and understanding between Nigeria and ACP countries.
NTAC sends professionals such as doctors, engineers, teachers to ACP countries.
A critical part of NTAC’s mandate is the deployment of skilled volunteers to ACP countries for the South-South cooperation in strengthening ties through the deployment exercise.
The Technical Aid Corps (TAC) is used to bridge both the educational and professional gaps of these countries and their people.
The corps focuses on capacity building, human resources development as well as filling critical manpower gaps in the health and education sectors which directly support the sustainable development through the partnership with these countries.
Since inception, NTAC had deployed more than 10, 000 volunteers to ACP countries.
In 2025, NTAC deployed TAC volunteers to 12 ACP countries: Jamaica, Republic of Benin, Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, Zanzibar, Grenada,
The Gambia, Liberia, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Seychelles and St. Kitts and Nevis; the corps also opened up new relations with Equatorial Guinea, Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis last year.
Also in 2025, NTAC recorded a significant milestone and met targets in spite of challenges.
Observers say that NTAC, under the leadership of Director-General Dr Yusuf Yakub, is experiencing a new dawn.
On Strategic Alignment, NTAC has been repositioned to align with the 4D Foreign Policy–Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora to bolster Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy and international influence.
The corps has strengthened ties with countries such as Jamaica, Republic of Benin, Rwanda and others through capacity building and human resources development.
Foreign affairs analysts say the corps’ efforts align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, focusing on democracy, development, and diaspora engagement.
It is worth noting that NTAC has received accolades from some countries that were impacted through its interventions.
The Gambian Government recently applauded Nigeria’s educational interventions in the country.
Prof. Pierre Gomez, the Minister of Higher Education praised the impact of Nigerian professors on their educational sector.
Gomez said the Gambian President was pleased with the impact of Nigeria professors from NTAC at the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET).
Also, Yakub’s courtesy visit to Ms Eléonore Yayi Ladekan, the Beninese Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, elicited applause NTAC).
The visit was to bridge the communication gap, strengthen diplomatic ties and to facilitate trade between Nigeria and Benin.
Yakub said that the visit was aimed at mitigating the barriers of communication in order to enhance trade development and other bilateral ties between both countries.
On her part, Ladekan extended her country’s gratitude to President Tinubu for his continuous dedication and commitment to the development of ACP countries through NTAC.
She expressed the country’s desire to partner with NTAC to explore more opportunities, and also affirmed the Benin’s commitment to sustaining and expending cooperation with Nigeria for mutual benefits.
In addition, NTAC opened new relations with Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, and St. Kitts and Nevis, and is set to deploy more volunteers to address manpower gaps in health and education sectors.
In April 2025, the corps sent 35 medical professionals to Zanzibar, Tanzania, comprising nurses and doctors to enhance the Nigeria foreign policy to bridge the gaps in countries that are in need of professionals.
Providing further insights, Yakub said the Jamaican Government sought for 400 workers from Nigeria, and they were ready to pay 100 per cent salary to bridge the manpower gap in the North American country.
He said that the Jamaican deployment was done to fulfil Nigerian “big brother’’ role to the ACP countries and strengthen diplomatic and cultural ties.
According to him, it is in tandem with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which hinges on the core pillars of democracy, development, demographic, and diaspora engagement.
Analysts say that under the leadership of Yakub, NTAC has strengthened ties with countries like Jamaica, Republic of Benin, Rwanda, and others through capacity building and human resources development.
“Some notable achievements include: New Partnerships formed which made NTAC to opened new relations with Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Volunteer deployments, 35 medical professionals were sent to Zanzibar, Tanzania, and 16 TAC volunteers were deployed to Jamaica,’’ a foreign affairs analyst said.
More recently, NTAC received one of its deployed volunteers from the Republic of Uganda at the expiration of his two years stay in the country.
The returning volunteer, Professor Joseph Tanko Apagu, was received at the NTAC Complex by the Director (Programmes), Ambassador Zakari Usman, who subsequently presented him to the director-general.
In his remarks, Yakub expressed appreciation for Apagu’s dedication and exemplary service while on assignment in Uganda.
The director-general commended him for representing Nigeria positively and contributing meaningfully to development efforts in the host country, in line with the objectives of the TAC scheme.
He urged the returnee to sustain the values of professionalism, discipline, and patriotism which the corps upheld, and to continue serving as a worthy ambassador of Nigeria in all future endeavours.
In an increasingly polarised world, foreign affairs commentators say the ongoing repositioning of NTAC operations should be sustained.
In spite of challenges, stakeholders say they are upbeat about Yakub’s ability to continue leveraging ICT in enhancing strategic partnerships, as well as updating the legal framework to boost Nigeria’s soft power and development leadership in the Global South.(NAN)
***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.
