Nigeria to Send Technical Volunteers to 50 Countries, Says DG DTAC

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Nigeria will be sending technical volunteers to 50 countries in the next three years, the Director General, Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC),  Dr. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has said.
Yakub disclosed this on Sunday during a reception and award of certificates to 23 Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers after completing a two-year programme in Uganda.

While disclosing that all the 23 volunteers were in the education sector, Yakubu said: “All the 23 volunteers we are receiving today are professors and doctors in different specialisations who have served in Uganda for two years and have been good ambassadors of Nigeria. When I visited Uganda, there were great testimonies because people of Uganda are seeing Nigeria through them.

“Thank God they exhibited high standard of performance in the areas of their duties and also in their day to day interaction with the people of Uganda.”
The DG also revealed that there are demands to have some of the volunteers renew their stay, which is against TAC’s policy.

He however said the countries are free to enter into contracts talks with the volunteers.
He said: “We at DTAC will make sure we support the volunteers who have gotten offers.”
He noted that: “We will continue to send volunteers not to only Uganda but our target is to make sure we have volunteers in not less than 50 countries in the next three years.”

The DG while noting that three different groups of volunteers have been dispatched in the last two months, said other groups would join from the first quarter of next year.

Some of the volunteers who narrated their experience said Nigeria’s education environment is far better than the country they served.
The volunteers said they were able to help them set up their system, develop a proper system for some of their faculties and departments in the various universities they served.