By Maureen Okon
The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) says eight Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Volunteers are to be deployed to Seychelles and The Gambia to bridge the educational and professional gaps.
Dr Yusuf Yakub, the Director-General (D-G) and the CEO of NTAC said this during the deployment exercise held in Abuja for the voulunteers.
Yusuf said that the exercise aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy agenda, namely Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora.
He described it as a strong pillar driving Nigeria’s soft-power diplomacy to Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) countries.
Yakub said that the scheme had reached its peak of engagements under the current administration, and had so far deployed over 10,000 volunteers to more than 40 countries across the ACP countries.
He urged the volunteers, out of which five are destined for The Gambia and three for Seychelles, to see their assignments as national and humanitarian service.
He said that their service was a representation of Nigeria’s image abroad.
“The citizens of the host communities would see them first as Nigerians. I charge them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and conduct,” he said.
The D-G said that their welfare would be fully catered for by the Federal Government, while the Nigerian embassies in the recipient countries would serve as their guardians on arrival.
He said that Nigeria had become one of the largest exporters of skilled labour on the continent, and a major contributor to global development goals, including the SDGs.
He said that NTAC had introduced a new initiative to export skilled labour for a fee, a move expected to reduce illegal migration and to promote dignified mobility for Nigerian professionals.
Speaking on behalf of the volunteers, Dr Mohammed Suleiman, expressed gratitude for the opportunity given to them, while pledging that the team would serve as worthy ambassadors of Nigeria in their host communities.
He encouraged more Nigerians to apply for the scheme in spite of its rigorous selection process, noting that it remained a privilege to contribute to national development and international cooperation. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman
