The Federal Government has called for a more robust public diplomacy strategy to enhance awareness of Nigeria’s foreign policy initiatives, particularly the activities of the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (NTAC).
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NTAC, Yusuf Buba Yakub, and his management team in Abuja.
Enikanolaiye stressed the need for a deliberate and well-funded media engagement to project the work of the Ministry and NTAC, noting that visibility is now as critical as performance.
“We need to create more awareness for Nigerians to understand what we are doing. Nigerians have not been fully aware of the work of NTAC and the Ministry. We must step up our media engagement,” he said.
The Minister noted that the move aligns with the Federal Government’s broader efforts to reposition Nigeria’s foreign policy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, anchored on the 4-Ds doctrine — Demography, Democracy, Development and Diaspora.
He explained that the Ministry is undergoing comprehensive reforms aimed at improving service delivery and aligning its operations with national interests, while commending NTAC for achieving significant results despite limited resources.
Earlier, Yakub highlighted NTAC’s role as a key instrument of Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy since its establishment in 1987, focusing on deploying skilled professionals to developing countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
He said the agency has deployed over 10,000 Nigerian professionals to more than 40 countries, contributing to capacity building and institutional development in critical sectors such as education, health, agriculture and engineering.
According to him, the programme has recorded notable successes, including the appointment of an NTAC volunteer to chair Sierra Leone’s COVID-19 management team, as well as the rise of several volunteers to top academic and administrative positions abroad.
Yakub disclosed that 274 Nigerian professionals are currently serving in 13 countries, including The Gambia, Rwanda, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Jamaica, among others.
He added that NTAC is expanding its reach, with ongoing efforts to formalise agreements with countries such as Zambia, Ethiopia, Angola, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados.
The Director-General noted that the agency is also strengthening its operations in line with the 4-D foreign policy objectives, including expanding partnerships in the Caribbean following recent bilateral engagements.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, called for innovative reforms, including the introduction of a digital database of Nigerian experts, virtual technical assistance, diaspora integration, and results-based monitoring systems.
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He emphasised that such measures would enhance the efficiency and impact of NTAC’s operations and further strengthen Nigeria’s leadership in South-South cooperation.
The meeting underscored the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to leveraging technical diplomacy and strategic communication to advance Nigeria’s foreign policy goals and global partnerships.
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