NTAC DG Marks Two Years in Office, Applauds President Tinubu’s 4D Policy for Advancing Nigeria’s Soft Power Diplomacy

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, on Friday hosted a media chat at the NTAC headquarters in Abuja to commemorate his two years in office. The event highlighted the agency’s milestones, challenges, and future direction under his leadership.

The details were contained in a statement signed by Ojo A. Olubunmi, Head of Information/PR at NTAC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and made available to journalists in Abuja.

In his remarks, the Director-General expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve, recalling that since his appointment on August 23, 2023, and assumption of duty on August 28, 2023, he has “hit the ground running” in line with the President’s directives.

Reflecting on the state of the Corps upon his assumption of office, Yakub noted that he inherited 198 volunteers already deployed, along with significant financial challenges, including unpaid salaries and a ₦300 million debt. He further explained that currency fluctuations in 2024 posed additional threats to the agency’s operations. However, with the support of President Tinubu, NTAC cleared its debts and restored regular volunteer deployments.

“From September 2023 till date, we have been deploying two to three times every month without interruption,” he stated, adding that Nigeria has maintained a consistent presence across the globe.

Yakub emphasized the pivotal role of President Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy agenda — Democracy, Demography, Diaspora, and Development — in repositioning NTAC as a critical tool of Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy. He described the Technical Aid Corps scheme, now in its 38th year, as a strategic vehicle through which over 10,000 Nigerian professionals have been deployed to more than 40 countries.

“Today, NTAC is at its highest peak since inception because of the President’s 4D agenda,” he affirmed.

Highlighting the impact of Nigerian volunteers abroad, Yakub cited success stories such as those in The Gambia, where Nigerian professionals have risen to positions including Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in leading universities. “This shows that Nigeria’s vibrant demography is not only being exported but is actively shaping global development,” he remarked.

On internal reforms, the DG revealed that his administration had undertaken significant infrastructure upgrades at the NTAC headquarters, including the renovation of dilapidated offices and the acquisition of new buses for field operations. These projects, he disclosed, were initially funded from his personal resources before federal budgetary allocations were released. He further announced that by the end of October 2025, NTAC will have 450 volunteers in service, achieving 90% of its deployment target.

Looking ahead, Yakub outlined plans to reposition NTAC as both a center for soft power diplomacy and a hub for labor export. While maintaining the volunteer-based Technical Aid Corps scheme, the agency is also engaging with host governments and international partners — including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) — to explore structured, paid labor export opportunities. He cited Jamaica’s recent request for 400 Nigerian experts as evidence of the growing global demand for the country’s skilled workforce.