The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening South-South Cooperation at the Stakeholders’ Roundtable on the Measurement of Nigeria’s South-South Cooperation, organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on International Cooperation (OSSAP-IC), in partnership with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).
The event opened with welcome remarks by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on International Cooperation, who reaffirmed the President’s commitment to deepening global South-South partnerships and called for greater coordination among Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
A keynote address was delivered by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, represented by Amb. Oluremi Oloyede, Director of Planning and Research, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister emphasized that Nigeria’s 4D Foreign Policy and strategic autonomy have strengthened the nation’s leadership within the Global South, stressing the need to further leverage soft-power diplomacy and technical cooperation.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, was represented at the Technical Session by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Nkem Anyatta-Lafia, who delivered a paper titled “Nigeria’s Technical Cooperation Architecture.”
He outlined the longstanding mandate of the TAC Scheme—sharing Nigeria’s expertise, building technical capacity, supporting economic development and promoting people-to-people linkages among developing nations. He highlighted that the Scheme has, over 38 years, deployed more than 11,000 Nigerian experts and trained over 20,000 professionals in over 40 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
Beneficiary countries include Benin Republic, Rwanda, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, Solomon Islands, Fiji, among others.
Rt. Hon. Buba noted that TAC’s interventions span agriculture, health, education, statistics, ICT, renewable energy and governance. He further stated that NTAC’s partnerships with UN agencies, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and other international bodies have broadened the scope of skills transfer, research and technology adaptation. These collaborations continue to reinforce Nigeria’s diplomatic reach and support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across beneficiary nations.
Despite challenges such as financing gaps and data limitations, he informed the gathering that the present administration has approved additional funding for the Scheme and is strengthening collaborations with organisations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and key private-sector actors. These initiatives will enable NTAC to expand its reach beyond the ACP region and deepen its impact on South-South Cooperation.
Other presentations at the Roundtable included remarks by the representative of the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Oladiko Babatunde, who stressed the importance of measurement in enhancing governance outcomes and transparency across the Global South; the representative of the Statistician-General of the Federation, Director A. D. Mustapha, who highlighted the need for improved administrative data systems; and virtual contributions from Mr. David Boko of UNECA, who called for enhanced collaboration to tackle institutional challenges.
Additionally, Prof. Neissan Besharati, Regional Consultant to UNECA, provided a context-setting presentation on the SSC Measurement Framework, aimed at documenting Nigeria’s contributions and leadership within global South-South Cooperation.
About NTAC
The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is mandated to provide technical assistance to developing countries, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Through its volunteer programme, NTAC supports capacity-building, knowledge sharing and Nigeria’s leadership in South-South Cooperation.
Signed:
Ojo Adetoun Olubunmi , ANIPR
Head, Information and Public Relations
Nigerian Technical Aid Corps
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Abuja
8th December, 2025
