By Jabiru Hassan, Kano
Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, emphasized that the deployment of volunteers to African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries significantly promotes the sharing of Nigeria’s expertise, culture, and traditions.
Speaking at a recent program in Abuja organized for interns of this year’s Leadership Mentorship Initiative, Buba explained that such exchanges create a positive affinity between Nigeria and these countries, fostering goodwill and breaking down barriers of hate and suspicion. This, he noted, deepens bilateral relations and encourages business-to-business and people-to-people connections.
Buba distinguished between soft power and hard power, the latter involving the use of force or coercion. He advocated for soft power, arguing that current global dynamics show its importance in avoiding conflicts like the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
He highlighted that, through the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, the Federal Government has deployed soft power to over 40 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific for more than 37 years. These deployments have involved over 35,000 Nigerians who willingly leave high-paying jobs at home to serve in these regions.
Buba praised the wisdom and vision of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and Founder of the LMI Program, commending the former House Speaker’s commitment to nurturing young leaders for the nation’s future. He also acknowledged the efforts of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and his team in driving the LMI Program each year.
Among the speakers at the event was Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). He discussed “Unleashing Soft Power Through International Relations,” recalling how the United States and the United Kingdom pioneered volunteer deployment in the 1950s.
He noted that the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, established in 1987, serves as a key instrument for promoting the nation’s foreign policy objectives through soft power diplomacy.
Attendees included Dr. Dapo Oyewole, Senior Special Assistant to the President on International Cooperation, and Mrs. Simi Fajemirokun, Head of the Technical Delivery Unit, Office of the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session between the NTAC DG and the interns, some of whom inquired about the inclusion of people with disabilities and the role of Nigerian artists in NTAC programs. The session ended on a positive note, according to a statement issued to the press by Nkem Anyata-Lafia, Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the DG of NTAC.
