The Federal Government has deployed 18 Nigerian professionals to The Gambia under the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), as the programme marks its 38th anniversary of providing technical assistance to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
Speaking at the volunteers' send-off ceremony in Abuja on Thursday, the Director-General of NTAC, Yusuf Yakub, said the initiative remained one of Nigeria's longest-running foreign policy programmes, having deployed more than 10,000 skilled professionals to over 40 ACP countries since its inception.
Yakub said the programme would sustain its momentum, revealing that more than 15 additional batches of experts would be deployed to various countries before November.
He credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration with strengthening the scheme through increased government support, saying NTAC's activities had expanded significantly in recent years.
According to him, the deployment aligns with Nigeria's commitment to South-South Cooperation and the African integration agenda under the vision of "One Africa."
He urged the volunteers to maintain Nigeria's reputation for professionalism and excellence, noting that previous Nigerian experts deployed to The Gambia had excelled in academia and public service, with some rising to senior leadership positions, including vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors and deans.
Yakub described the newly deployed team, made up largely of professors and experienced engineers, as one of the strongest contingents selected through a rigorous and competitive process.
The team leader, Prof. Aliyu Bashir, said the volunteers were committed to serving as worthy ambassadors of Nigeria, adding that they emerged from a selection process involving more than 10,000 applicants.
He assured that the team would discharge its responsibilities diligently and uphold the country's image throughout the assignment.
The only female member of the delegation, Engr. Helen Babalola of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, described her selection as a privilege and pledged to contribute effectively to the mission.
She also commended the Federal Government for revitalising the Technical Aid Corps programme.
Another volunteer, Dr. Christopher Belonwu of Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, said he would leverage his expertise in construction technology, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and ICT-driven skills development to support capacity building in The Gambia.
Established 38 years ago, the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps deploys Nigerian professionals in education, healthcare, engineering and other critical sectors to ACP countries as part of Nigeria's technical cooperation and foreign policy objectives.
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