The Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has said that the American government has applied for 400 experts volunteers from Nigeria that they will be fully pay for saying that the Attorney General of the Federation is already working on the new agreement.
He also revealed that Nigeria has sent over 10,000 technical experts abroad since it's creation in 1987 even as additional 35 expert volunteers are traveling today, Wednesday to Zanziber, Tanzania.
The DG said the deployment has helped to boost the Corps status as revenue generating agency while also providing employment for the experts who were previously unemployed in Nigeria.
He disclosed these on Tuesday in Abuja during the briefing for the deployment of 35 technical volunteers who are leaving Nigeria on Wednesday to Zanziber, Tanzania, to assist the country for the next two years.
He appreciated President Bola Tinubu for his support in enhancing the foreign policy of Nigeria thus repositioning NTAC with the responsibility of promoting soft power diplomacy.
He assured that the Corps will continue to work along the mandate of Mr. President to achieve his 4D foreign policy initiative.
"In Nigeria before its establishment in 1987 our leaders then used to give cash support to our sister nations within Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
"But from 1987 the leaders decided to say, let's send our technical experts to these countries so that we will enhance our relationship with the countries. It will also enhance cultural exchange, and in every aspect, it will be better than giving cash support. So that was why the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps was established in 1987 and backed by an act of the National Assembly.
"From 1987 to this day, I am proud to say that the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps have achieved a lot because we have deployed to over 40 countries, and we have also deployed over 10,000 experts to this more than 40 countries of the Pacific and also African countries.
"And this is a great achievement for our country, because even on Saturday when I was in Gambia with the director of programs to attend a convocation ceremony of the Gambian University, the president of Gambia, Adama Borrow, was so proud and so appreciative of what Nigeria has been doing to that country, because the first vice chancellor of one of the only university then in the Gambia was a volunteer of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps that was in 1999 and the second vice chancellor was also a volunteer of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps.
"And even so that Saturday, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of that university, a 25 year old university, is also a volunteer of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, and the Nigerian also established other universities, like the University of Science and the present Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and two directors, our volunteers that we sent out there in 2024.
"So the president was so excited, and that is the target, that is the spirit, the spirit of South South cooperation, where developing countries, where black nations, will share what they have amongst themselves, instead of going out to the Western world to ask for this support.
"We have everything we need in Africa. We have everything we need amongst our black brothers and sisters in the Caribbean and Pacific and so that's the spirit behind the establishment of this program." he stated
He urged the 35 volunteers going to Tanzania to be good ambassadors of Nigeria.
"Nigeria is a big country and a superpower in Africa, and in the spirit of South South cooperation and in the spirit of Pan Africanism, we will have to continue to share with our fellow blacks all over the world.
"If you watched your television yesterday, you will see where the president of Gambia was appreciating the Federal Republic of Nigeria specifically for bringing Africa to the limelight, and you cannot achieve that until you share what you have.
"If you travel within Africa today, it's very difficult to connect, because the level of businesses amongst ourselves is very low. But with this spirit and with this foreign policy initiative of Mr. President, I think Africa is becoming stronger and we are becoming united.
"And with this gesture, Africa will come on tops among the committee of nations. They will go out there to serve humanity briefly and come back to their place of work in Nigeria.
"And because of the activities of these volunteers today, Nigerian Technical Aid Corps transforming into a revenue generating agency because the last time I went to Jamaica, and in the course of discussion, we said, since our volunteers have been doing well, and countries are developing confidence in the Nigerian citizens because of the work of our volunteers, we can also give out services for fee.
Speaking on behalf of the 35 volunteers, Dr. Paul Conellous, expressed appreciation to NTAC for giving them the opportunity.
"To whom much is given, much is expected. We want to give our word that we are going to represent our country well.
"We thank you for this privilege and we will not fail you." he assured.