Korede Abdullah in Lagos
In a significant stride toward fostering South-South cooperation, Nigeria has dispatched 35 medical professionals to Zanzibar, Tanzania, under the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) initiative.
Director-General of NTAC, Dr. Yusuf Yakub, emphasized that the deployment aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s foreign policy thrust of soft power diplomacy. “Today is a historic day for the corps… using soft power diplomacy, the corps is sending 35 TAC volunteers to Zanzibar,” he declared.
These professionals, comprising nurses and doctors, will contribute their expertise to strengthen both healthcare delivery and education systems in the region.
Dr. Yakub recalled the vision that led to NTAC’s formation in 1987 — transitioning from cash-based aid to capacity-building through technical expertise. He proudly noted, “From 1987 to this day, I am proud to say that NTAC has achieved a lot.
We have deployed to over 40 countries and over 10,000 experts to the ACP countries.” The DG highlighted NTAC’s long-standing legacy, referencing success stories like that of The Gambia, where past NTAC volunteers now hold top academic positions.
The initiative reflects Nigeria’s broader commitment to contributing meaningfully to development across the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) nations.
Among the volunteers, enthusiasm ran high. Dr. Paul Cornelius, team lead, praised the initiative and vowed the team would “supersede the achievements of their predecessors.”
A pediatric nurse, Mohammed Ibrahim, expressed deep gratitude for being selected out of 10,000 applicants, saying, “We pray God will grant us the ability to do the needful and be good ambassadors of Nigeria.”
