FG Deploys New Batch of Volunteers to The Gambia, Urges Them to Uphold High Standards of Performance, Integrity

• The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has sent 11 professional volunteers to The Gambia, emphasizing the importance of high performance and integrity.
• Director General Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub urged the volunteers to represent Nigeria positively, embodying integrity and simplicity while addressing The Gambia’s skill gaps in Law, Engineering, and Entrepreneurial Studies.
• The volunteers, led by Professor Oyetunji Akinlabi, will serve for 24 months, promoting Nigeria’s national interest and strengthening international cooperation, in line with the NTAC’s objectives and Nigeria’s focus on soft diplomacy.

FG Deploys New Batch of Volunteers to The Gambia, Urges Them to Uphold High Standards of Performance, Integrity

Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) has deployed a new batch of 11 volunteers to The Gambia, urging them to uphold high standards of performance and integrity.

These professionals, chosen from a pool of over ten thousand applicants, include experts in Law, Engineering, and Entrepreneurial Studies.

During the Pre-departure Orientation, Director General of NTAC, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, congratulated the volunteers for being selected for the 37-year-old scheme and emphasized their role as representatives of Nigeria.

He called on them to embody integrity and simplicity, and to portray Nigeria positively as Technical Diplomats.

“You are called Volunteers because you are going out there to serve humanity in The Gambia. Even if it is half a room that you are given to live in, please, accept it and commit to what you have been sent to do there. Always bear in mind that you are there to represent Nigeria,” Buba stated.

He highlighted Nigeria’s approach to international relations, which focuses on soft diplomacy rather than coercion, and urged the volunteers to see themselves as representatives of the entire country.

Buba noted that the NTAC scheme, established in 1987, has been a key instrument of diplomacy, fostering friendships and partnerships globally.

The volunteers’ mission aligns with the recent visit of The Gambia’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Dawuda Jawara, who identified skill gaps in their country and requested NTAC’s assistance.

Buba challenged the volunteers to meet these needs and exceed expectations.

Ambassador Zakari Usman, Director of Programmes at NTAC, echoed this sentiment, urging the volunteers to maintain high standards of conduct and integrity to fulfill the scheme’s objectives.

He emphasized the importance of adhering to the dos and don’ts of the NTAC scheme.

Team Lead of the batch, Professor Oyetunji Akinlabi of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, thanked the Federal Government for the opportunity and pledged to promote Nigeria’s national interest and African unity, in line with Section 19 of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended).

Dr. Hope Tebira, Deputy Director and Legal Draftsperson at the National Assembly, and Barr. Joseph Okete, also spoke on behalf of the volunteers, committing to provide more than what was requested by the host country.

The volunteers will serve for 24 months in The Gambia, adhering to the statutory terms of engagement with NTAC.

This deployment aims to strengthen the bond between Nigeria and The Gambia, and showcase Nigeria’s abundant human resources and commitment to international cooperation.