By Jabiru Hassan, Kano
The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have agreed to form an ad-hoc joint committee to explore ways in which both agencies can collaborate to enhance service delivery. This initiative aims to improve the effectiveness of their mandates for the benefit of the recipient countries under the Technical Aid Corps scheme.
The decision was made during a meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, where Dr. Umaru Idris Ahmed, the Director of the Inter-Governmental Relations Department (IGRD) at FIRS, led a delegation from the service on a courtesy visit to the Director-General of NTAC, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub.
Speaking during the visit, Rt. Hon. Buba shared that the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps was established in 1987 to promote Nigeria’s foreign policy goals through the Technical Aid Corps scheme. This initiative is an instrument of soft power diplomacy aimed at supporting African, Caribbean, and Pacific nations.
He highlighted that over the past 37 years, NTAC has deployed more than 10,000 highly trained professionals across various fields to 40 countries globally. Through these deployments, NTAC has showcased Nigeria as a valuable partner, advancing the United Nations’ South-South Cooperation initiative.
Buba explained that the Technical Aid Corps scheme now extends beyond healthcare and education to sectors such as engineering, the judiciary, and even artisanship. He noted, for example, that the Chief Judge of The Gambia and several legal draftsmen are Nigerians. Additionally, Nigerian professors currently lead the prestigious University of Applied Sciences, Engineering, and Technology in that country.
He emphasized that, moving forward, NTAC plans to amend its statutes to explore ways to generate foreign exchange by utilizing the services of some of these professionals, sharing Nigeria’s human resources with sister countries in the ACP region.
Dr. Ahmed, speaking on behalf of the FIRS delegation, explained that the visit aimed to foster new relationships between the agency and various government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), in line with the mandate of FIRS’s newly established Inter-Governmental Relations Department. He stated that the department, set up in March this year, aims to strengthen ties between the FIRS, MDAs, and the private sector. This effort supports the image-building of FIRS, especially concerning its role in tax reforms under the Tinubu administration.
Dr. Ahmed also mentioned that, as a member of both the African Tax Forum (ATAF) and the West African Tax Forum (WTAF), he would collaborate with these professional bodies to explore how NTAC can assist ACP countries by deploying Nigerian tax experts with the necessary competencies.
The meeting was attended by several officials from NTAC, including Amb. Yakubu Abdullahi Ahmed, Director of Administration; Amb. Zakari Usman, Director of Programs; Amb. Saidu D. Muhammed, Deputy Director of Administration; and Mr. Saidu Idris Yusuf, Deputy Director in the Accounts Department.
The FIRS delegation also included Mrs. Shehu Ganiyah, Ashu A. S., Mr. Silas Onweydu, Mr. Okim Thomas, Mr. Usman Ibrahim, and Amina Abdullahi, as stated in a press release by Nkem Anyata-Lafia, Special Assistant to the DG, NTAC (Media and Publicity).
