By Gloria Ikibah
In a significant milestone for Nigeria’s foreign policy and South-South cooperation efforts, the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has deployed 35 technical volunteers to Zanzibar, Tanzania.
The Director General of NTAC, Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, stated this during a send-off ceremony held in Abuja.
Addressing the volunteers, Yakub described the deployment as a “historic day” for the agency, attributing the initiative to the directive of President Bola Tinubu, he expressed gratitude to the President for his continued support in enhancing Nigeria’s diplomatic outreach through practical, people-centered development efforts.
“As an agency saddled with the responsibility of promoting our soft power and diplomacy, we will always run with the mandate of Mr. President to achieve his 4D foreign policy initiative.
The 4D initiative—Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora—guides Nigeria’s international relations strategy under the current administration,” Yakub stated.
He highlighted NTAC’s long-standing role in technical diplomacy, tracing its roots to 1987 when the federal government shifted from offering direct financial aid to deploying skilled manpower to sister countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Since then, the agency has deployed over 10,000 professionals to more than 40 countries, impacting education, health, and governance.
He recounted a recent visit to The Gambia, and shared how NTAC volunteers have shaped the academic landscape of the country, with several top university administrators being Nigerian experts sent under the programme.
The DG emphasised Africa’s potential to grow through mutual support among developing nations, he charged the departing volunteers to see themselves as field ambassadors of Nigeria.
He said, “That is the spirit of South-South cooperation.
“If you perform well, you can rise to positions you never imagined”.
He referenced a former NTAC volunteer who went on to head the COVID-19 committee in Sierra Leone and later served as a presidential physician.
The Director General therefore urged the volunteers to embrace the service-oriented nature of their mission, reminding them that “volunteerism” means sacrifice.
“Even if you are given half a room with half a mattress, take it in good faith. “You are going there to serve humanity”, he advised.
The volunteers will be deployed for a two-year period, from 2025 to 2027. They are expected to report to the Nigerian embassy in Tanzania for all communications and support, with the embassy acting as their first point of contact while abroad.
The Team Lead for the Volunteer group, Mohamed Jawad Jaffa, a Pediatric Nurse, commended the government for giving them the opportunity to serve humanity in a foreign land, pledging not to let the nation down.
He said: “We give glory to God for this opportunity. And our prayers are that let us do the needful and do as the task requires. And for sure, one thing that is not negotiable is to let us be good ambassadors of our country. And this is what we are going to make sure that we keep to it. And to give a good name for our country, Nigeria, through this programme”.
Also, another Volunteer, Mary Jane Okeze, also said: “Our job here is to help the sick. And this is a very big opportunity for every one of us. And we really appreciate what the government is doing for us. We will make sure we do our best and represent our country properly as we are supposed to do”.
The NTAC programme, established by law in 1993, remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s foreign engagement, emphasising capacity building, cultural exchange, and technical partnership as tools for regional development and diplomatic influence.
