The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has highlighted major achievements recorded by the Corps under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration , particularly in technical diplomacy, human-capital development, South-South cooperation and Nigeria’s global soft power.
Hon. Yakub stated this at a media interaction on Thursday, at the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Complex, 17th, September, 2026, Abuja, where he presented the Agency’s achievements of the Corps and outlined its strategic direction for the future.
According to him, NTAC, established in 1987, remains an important instrument of Nigeria’s foreign policy and soft-power diplomacy, having deployed over 10,000 Nigerian professionals to more than 40 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The professionals have contributed in areas including medicine, education, engineering, agriculture, law, science and technology, he noted.
The Director-General said NTAC’s activities under the present administration are aligned with President Tinubu’s 4-D Foreign Policy framework — Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora, while his administration at NTAC is driven by a 3-R Agenda of Repositioning, Retooling and Re-engineering the Corps for greater efficiency and service delivery.
Yakub identified the revitalisation of the Technical Aid Corps Scheme as one of the major achievements of the administration, noting that the Corps has sustained the deployment and return of Nigerian professionals serving in partner countries.
He said the welfare of volunteers has also received increased attention through improved arrangements for allowances, deployment, monitoring, debriefing and reintegration.
“If Nigeria sends a professional abroad in the service of the nation, Nigerian must be treated with dignity,” he said, noting that every Nigerian professional deployed abroad represents the country and its interests, he said that Nigerian is a major contributors in a sustainable development goals, the citizens will come back as a better service delivery access to our partner Countries in the last three years.
The NTAC Director – General / CEO further highlighted the impact of Nigerian professionals in host countries, noting that TAC Volunteers have made valuable contributions to education, healthcare, engineering, law and agriculture. He cited instances of Nigerian professionals attaining senior positions in institutions abroad, including universities and legal establishments.
Yakub described the Volunteers as “Ambassadors of Nigeria,” stressing that their professional conduct and contributions help strengthen Nigeria’s image and diplomatic relations with partner countries.
He explained that Nigeria’s soft power is often demonstrated through the everyday activities of its professionals abroad.
According to him, “Diplomacy is not conducted only in conference rooms. Sometimes, diplomacy is a Nigerian doctor attending to a patient in another African country. It is also a Nigerian lecturer standing before students in a foreign university, or an engineer helping to solve a development challenge,” he said.
On international partnerships, Yakub said that NTAC was strengthening Nigeria’s South-South Cooperation agenda by promoting knowledge-sharing and mutually beneficial partnerships with countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
He disclosed that the Corps was also exploring structured and dignified skilled-labour mobility programmes through which countries requiring Nigerian expertise could engage qualified Nigerian professionals. He cited interest from Jamaica in engaging hundreds of Nigerian professionals as an indication of the international demand for Nigerian skills.
The Director-General also disclosed that NTAC had undertaken institutional and infrastructural improvements, including the renovation of offices, acquisition of operational vehicles and strengthening of internal processes, adding that the Corps had intensified capacity-building initiatives for its personnel and relevant stakeholders, including training programmes involving Foreign Service Officers and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He further reiterated that the NTAC under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Partner Countries, Volunteers, Staff as well as Nigerian Media will continue to support Mr. Tinubu administration in building a more efficient, visible, impactful and globally relevant institution capable of advancing Nigeria’s interests through technical cooperation and soft power diplomacy.
Signed
Ojo Adetoun Olubunmi , anipr
Head,(Information & PR) NTAC
17th, September, 2026
