Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has highlighted the country’s growing international influence through decades of technical assistance, with more than 10,000 Nigerian professionals deployed to partner countries to support education, healthcare, governance and institutional development.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Yusuf-Buba Yakub, disclosed this on Tuesday during a one-day stakeholders’ engagement held in Abuja. The forum brought together civil society organisations and ministries, departments and agencies and was organised by the Civil Society Group for Good Governance in collaboration with the Integrity Advocacy for Development Initiative.

Yakub said Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps scheme has deployed over 10,000 professionals to more than 40 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific over the past 39 years, using skills transfer as a tool to strengthen diplomacy and enhance Nigeria’s international reputation.

According to him, Nigerian academics have played a vital role in improving higher education institutions in host countries by supervising postgraduate research, introducing new academic programmes and raising academic standards.

“Many universities, hospitals and technical institutions owe significant improvements to Nigerian experts deployed under the TAC scheme. Today, in The Gambia, the vice-chancellors of two major higher institutions are Nigerians drawn directly from the TAC scheme. The same applies to deputy vice-chancellors, faculty deans and heads of departments,” he said.

Yakub also said Nigerian medical professionals have improved healthcare delivery in partner nations, particularly in underserved communities where specialist medical services were previously unavailable.

He further noted that Nigerian legal experts have contributed to judicial reforms, legislative drafting and institutional development across several countries. He added that a former Technical Aid Corps volunteer recently drafted and presented the legislative code currently being used by The Gambia’s parliament.

The NTAC director-general described the programme as one of Africa’s most successful examples of South-South cooperation, saying it enables developing countries to exchange expertise instead of relying solely on support from developed nations.

Yakub also stated that Nigeria continues to play a leading role in the initiative, noting that the country currently serves on the 27-member steering committee of the Total Official Support for Sustainable Development.

He added that the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps has recorded significant achievements since its establishment and that its activities have continued to expand under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Source: Peoples Gazette