The Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging its abundant human resources to assist the development of African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries.
Speaking at a reception in Abuja for TAC Volunteers who recently completed their two-year service in Uganda and The Gambia, Yakub highlighted the primary benefits of the TAC Scheme, emphasizing the importance of sharing the knowledge and experience gained by volunteers with their fellow Nigerians.
Commending the 14 returned volunteers on behalf of the Federal Government, Yakub noted their role in advancing the Foreign Policy Objectives of the Tinubu Administration. He stressed that Nigeria remains one of the few nations to provide technical assistance to ACP countries for nearly forty years.
“The United Kingdom has UKAid; the United States has USAID; and China has China Aid. In Nigeria, we have the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps. Each of these initiatives supports the development of humanity in various ways. For us, the TAC has furthered South-South cooperation in over forty countries for nearly four decades,” Yakub said.
Yakub detailed recent deployments to ACP states and emphasized the pride and recognition brought by the returning volunteers. He shared insights from a recent visit to the Caribbean, where Nigerian Technical Aid Corps is highly regarded. Notably, Jamaican officials have embraced Nigerian craft and cultural skills, such as Adire, taught by TAC volunteers.
“Our goal is to continue supporting our brothers in ACP countries. Whether for free or for a fee, we will uphold the TAC mandate, recognizing its benefits for both the recipient countries and our returning volunteers,” Yakub stated.
Prof. Airat Sulaiman, a Development Psychologist and representative of the team leader from Uganda, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and praised TAC for their exceptional welfare and logistics support. She noted that some volunteers received employment offers from the institutions they served.
Dr. Chinwe Igiri, a PhD holder in Software Engineering, and Engr. Terseer Ako from the University of Jos, Nigeria, shared their positive experiences, mentioning that their host countries requested their retention beyond the TAC terms.
Of the 14 volunteers awarded the Certificate of Participation in the TAC Scheme, 13 served in Uganda and one in The Gambia.
