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Every Kobo Spent on NTAC Scheme Benefits Nigerians – DG Yakub

Published

2 months ago

August 2, 2025

…As NTAC Hosts Transition Ceremonies for 22 Volunteers to and 15 Others from The Gambia, Celebrates Achievements and Future Prospects

By Joel Ajayi

The Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of all NTAC volunteers serving in various parts of the world under the agency’s biennial programme.

Yakub emphasized that every kobo spent on the scheme is an investment in Nigerians, as the programme not only enhances national image but builds human capital and promotes global development cooperation.

He made this known in a statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Ojo Adetoun Olubunmi, on Friday, during a transition ceremony hosted at the NTAC headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, “President Tinubu is totally committed to the welfare of all volunteers. Every kobo spent in implementing the TAC programme is spent on Nigerians, wherever they are posted across the world to serve.”

The DG further stressed Nigeria’s growing recognition as a source of quality technical manpower and reaffirmed the country’s dedication to its foreign policy of development, cooperation, and international solidarity. “Nigeria is not lacking in the skills required for technical assistance to sister nations in Africa, the Caribbean, and Pacific regions,” he noted.

The occasion marked the joint transition of 15 returning volunteers who completed their two-year assignments at the University of The Gambia, and the formal deployment of 22 new volunteers embarking on similar missions.

Speaking at the event, Yakub commended both the outgoing and returning groups for their dedication and professionalism, highlighting the success of Nigeria’s 4D Foreign Policy strategy — especially the Development pillar under which NTAC operates.

He described the service rendered abroad not as a loss to Nigeria but a strategic gain in terms of international reputation, knowledge transfer, and professional development. Using a vivid metaphor, Yakub said, “When fish is raised in a river, it can only go so far. But in the ocean, it becomes a leader among its kind. You are ocean-bred now — go forward and lead.”

He likened the volunteers’ experience to an academic sabbatical, where they return more refined and prepared to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

To the returning volunteers, he expressed deep appreciation for their impact, noting notable achievements such as the establishment of the first Psychology programme at the University of The Gambia, the launch of a Department of Forestry, and the mentorship of the institution’s first MSc and PhD graduates.

Addressing the newly deployed team, Yakub charged them to serve with dignity, reminding them of their role as Nigerian ambassadors. He assured them of the Federal Government’s support through allowances and other welfare provisions, while the host country, in line with the Tripartite Country Agreement, would provide housing, utilities, and local transport.

He further advised them to maintain close communication with the Nigerian Embassy in The Gambia, assuring that any complaints or challenges would be swiftly addressed through the proper diplomatic channels.

In a heartfelt address, Professor Joseph Kur, team leader of the returning volunteers, thanked the Federal Government and NTAC for the opportunity to serve abroad. He described their two-year mission as rewarding and transformative, both professionally and personally. He noted with pride that all 15 volunteers returned safely and were each honored with Certificates of Excellent Service by the University of The Gambia.

Professor Abubakar Musa Kundiri, the team lead of the outgoing volunteers, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and the NTAC leadership. He pledged that the 22 carefully selected professionals would serve with integrity and bring positive impact to their host institutions.

The event concluded with group photographs, symbolizing unity, transition, and NTAC’s enduring commitment to using technical expertise as a powerful tool for diplomacy, development, and national pride.

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Tin City Warms Up for President Tinubu as North Central Embraces Renewed Hope

Published

1 day ago

October 4, 2025

The Gleamer

By Sunday Dare

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu berths on the plains and rolling hills that dominate the Jos landscape tomorrow, he will meet a people resourceful, friendly and resilient but weighed down by conflict, yet unbowed by adversity.

So, tommorrow, national attention turns to the Plateau- a locale laden with history and rich with potential. From the tin mines that gave the city of Jos its name, to the Irish potato, strawberry farms and beetroot plantations that dot its landscape, Jos remains a land of promise—truly the Home of Peace and Tourism.

Jos is also deeply woven into Nigeria’s political history. Plateau is home to towering figures such as Generals JD Gomwalk, Yakubu Gowon, John Shagaya, Joshua Dogoyaro, and Jerry Useni. Solomon Lar, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and numerous others also stand tall in the annals Plateau political history.

Jos was also the rallying ground of the famed Langtang Mafia—a group of influential military officers from Langtang in Plateau State who, at the height of their power, played a significant role in Nigeria’s political and military affairs.

The story of Jos is both exciting and excruciating. The city lost its innocence some two and a half decades ago, when the popular Terminus Market was reduced to rubble through acts of arson and looting.

Thus at the turn of the millennium by 2001, Jos—and by extension, Plateau—was thrown into a cycle of unending conflict. Ethnic tensions, clothed in religious garb, tore through the city and spread across the state, dragging Jos into an abyss of violence, almost of Kigali proportions. Peace gave way to war, and tourism jaunts became undertakings to the undertaker.

Yet Jos has never surrendered. Every time it is written off, it rises again—scarred, but resilient. With its multi-ethnic, multi-religious fabric, the Plateau continues to trudge on in pursuit of peace, development, and egalitarian ideals.

It was here, in Jos, that Nigeria’s democratic resurgence was birthed. The historic SDP convention, where late General Shehu Yar’Adua and Chief Moshood Abiola held sway, took place in this city. Jos gave political life to Abiola, our hero of democracy in 1992

Now, thirty three years later, another hero of democracy and of the June 12 struggle returns to the Plateau. President Tinubu’s return and visit to Plateau State is not just to honor the transition to glory of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the mother of the APC National Chairman.

It is a visit that carries deeper meaning—one of empathy, solidarity, and renewed hope for a people who have endured decades of turmoil. It is a mission to preach peace, console the bereaved, bind wounds, and assure Plateau of its central place in the Nigerian project.

Mr President comes not just to mourn, but to reconnect. He comes to parley with the North Central, to commiserate with a people who have suffered, and to extend the hand of renewed hope. That Renewed Hope is laying a solid foundation as evidenced by Naira at N1,455 per dollar, rising Foreign Reserves at $43bn, Trade surplus heading for N25tr. Revenues up 411% and Inflation down to about 20 per cent. Over 600,000 students benefiting from NELFUND.

This visit is more than ceremonial. It is a journey into the very soul of a people who have known pain, yet remain resilient; a land scarred by conflict, yet still brimming with hope and promise. As the Tin City opens its arms, Jos will not just receive the President—it will receive a message of solidarity, healing, and renewal.

Tomorrow is about remembering the glorious past, confronting the present, and charting a path to a peaceful and prosperous Plateau within a united Nigeria. With President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Jos once again stands at the intersection of history and destiny.

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