By Maureen Okon
The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) on Monday deployed 28 Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers to Uganda in a display of soft power diplomacy.
The volunteers were selected from different institutions across Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Amb. Yusuf Yakub, the Director-General of NTAC, urged the volunteers to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in their host community.
Yakub expressed satisfaction with the quality of Nigerian professionals selected for deployment to Uganda.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for creating the enabling environment and for sustaining the TAC programme.
“I also want to appreciate the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Ojukwu and the minister of state for their support.
“For the benefit of the volunteers, NTAC was established in 1987, and from that time, we have been deploying experts to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
“What this means is that Nigeria is supporting blacks all over the world with technical expertise to help fill the gaps available in their countries,” he said.
Yakub said that Nigeria was sustaining the TAC programme in the spirit of South-South Cooperation.
According to him, the programme is also an instrument of soft power diplomacy.
“The best way to make friends is through soft power diplomacy, not through kinetic means. Alongside very few developed countries worldwide, Nigeria is the only country in Africa providing this kind of aid.
“This is a very big achievement by a black country. We are helping humanity and supporting our brothers in ACP countries. Your duty is to go out there and represent Nigeria as ambassadors,” he said.
He further said that the Nigerian government sponsored the programme through NTAC, and that the volunteers’ allowances would be taken care of by the corps.
The Team Lead for the 28 volunteers, Prof. Faruk Usman from Usman Danfodio University, extended the team’s appreciation to the Director-General and the management of NTAC.
Usman also appreciated Tinubu for the opportunity to serve as a TAC volunteer.
“This is a way of promoting Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy through the South-South cooperation, to the ACP countries with our teaching and experience for years now.
Dr Ouloma Ozani, a microbiologist from PeaceLand University, Enugu, said the volunteers were excited to be part of the programme.
“We hope to also contribute to the development of our various host communities because we are going to various communities to make Nigeria proud,” she said.
