News
Technical Aid Corps DG Hails Tinubu’s Foreign Policy as Grenada Deployment Begins
…Urges Deployed Volunteers to Be Good Ambassadors of Nigeria
Joel Ajayi
The Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support towards strengthening Nigeria’s bilateral relations with Caribbean nations, following the deployment of four Technical Aid Corps Volunteers to Grenada.
In a statement released Monday in Abuja by the Head of Information and Public Relations at NTAC, Ojo Adetoun Olubunmi, the DG emphasized that the deployment aligns with President Tinubu’s directive following his recent state visit to Saint Lucia, where he pledged Nigeria’s technical support to East Caribbean nations.
“Today, we are deploying Volunteers to Grenada, one of the Eastern Caribbean countries. You will recall that Mr. President, during his visit to Saint Lucia, met with the Prime Ministers of the region and committed to providing technical assistance to them. This deployment is in fulfillment of that promise,” Buba stated.
He commended President Tinubu’s visionary 4-D Foreign Policy Initiative, which he said is actively shaping Nigeria’s global image and enhancing South-South cooperation. “The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, fully sponsored by Mr. President, is deploying professionals across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. These deployments are positively raising Nigeria’s profile internationally,” he added.
Speaking at the deployment ceremony held at the NTAC headquarters in Abuja, the DG congratulated the Volunteers on their selection and urged them to carry the spirit of humanitarianism and professionalism to Grenada. “The Grenadian people are our brothers and sisters; serve them with dedication and integrity,” he charged.
Buba highlighted Nigeria’s long-standing commitment to technical diplomacy, noting that the TAC Scheme was established 38 years ago and has since deployed over 10,000 volunteers to more than 40 countries. “You are leaving your comfort zone to serve another nation. Nigeria is proud of your sacrifice,” he said.
He assured the Volunteers of the Agency’s full support throughout their two-year mission, covering airfare, allowances, and welfare as stipulated in the Country Agreement. He also noted that accommodation, local transportation, and utilities will be provided by the host country.
The DG further informed the Volunteers that the Nigerian Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago will oversee their welfare during their stay, encouraging them to report any issues through proper diplomatic channels for prompt resolution.
In his closing remarks, Buba wished the Volunteers a successful mission and encouraged them to return home enriched with experience to contribute to national development.
Earlier, the Director of Programmes at NTAC, Amb. Zakari Usman, praised the DG’s dedication to the success of the Grenada deployment and lauded the Volunteers for their readiness to serve.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Dr. Esala E. Abene expressed deep appreciation to President Tinubu and the Nigerian government for the opportunity to represent the country abroad. He pledged to uphold high standards of professionalism and contribute meaningfully to strengthening Nigeria–Grenada relations.
The deployed Volunteers include specialist medical doctors and other health professionals, reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to technical aid, diplomacy, and humanitarian service across the globe.
News
Tin City Warms Up for President Tinubu as North Central Embraces Renewed Hope
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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