The Director-General of the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Yusuf Buba Yakub, has announced that the agency is finalising plans to start exporting Nigerian labour with dignity to countries across the world. This initiative is aimed at creating employment opportunities, discouraging irregular migration, and positioning Nigeria’s human capital as a reliable source of foreign exchange.
Yakub made this known on Friday in Abuja while presenting his two-year stewardship scorecard. He explained that the new initiative has already received approval from the Federal Ministry of Justice following consultations with the Ministries of Labour, Health, and Foreign Affairs. He said the programme would go beyond NTAC’s traditional soft power diplomacy to a more structured labour export system that will benefit the country economically.
During his presentation, Yakub revealed that while on a recent visit to Jamaica, the agency received a request for additional manpower beyond the initial seven volunteers deployed. He stated that despite challenges caused by exchange rate fluctuations, NTAC has consistently met its volunteer deployment obligations and ensured that deployed workers are well paid and supported in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy commitments.
“One of the new policy I came in with is to turn Nigeria Technical Aid Corps into a hub for the export of our manpower, not just for free, but also for money. And so side by side with the soft power diplomacy export to support our brothers in Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific, and also to serve humanity,” Yakub said.
He added that the new structured manpower export would help discourage the increasing trend of irregular migration, popularly known as Japa, while also reducing the number of Nigerians dying while attempting to travel through deserts and oceans. According to him, the move will also create jobs for citizens and strengthen Nigeria’s global workforce reputation.
Yakub said that by the end of October, NTAC expects to have deployed over 450 volunteers in different countries. He assured that despite budget constraints, the agency is on track to achieve 90 percent of its financial targets by the end of the year. “Despite the slight differential in exchange rate, we are going to meet our budget; by the grace of God, at the end of the year,” he stated.
The NTAC Director-General also spoke on reforms and debt clearance within the agency. He disclosed that when he assumed office in August 2023, he inherited over 198 serving volunteers, dilapidated infrastructure, ageing vehicles, and debts running into hundreds of millions of naira, including unpaid allowances and ticket refunds.
Yakub said his administration worked hard to rehabilitate NTAC’s headquarters and improve staff welfare despite limited resources. He explained that these efforts were supported through his personal outreach to partners and friends of the agency. He confirmed that all outstanding debts, including unpaid salaries and allowances, have now been cleared.
“And despite inheriting a lot of salaries unpaid of volunteers and a lot of tickets, money not paid, in hundreds of millions, by the grace of God and with the support of Mr. President, today we have cleared all our debts. We are not owing again. We have paid all of our volunteers,” he said.
Yakub highlighted the role of NTAC’s activities in advancing President Bola Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy initiative, which focuses on Democracy, Demography, Diaspora, and Development. He added that the Corps is offering Nigerian youths and professionals international exposure, retraining opportunities, and a chance to return home with global experience.
As part of the agency’s expansion, Yakub announced that NTAC has opened new relationships with several countries within the past two years. These include Grenada in the South Caribbean, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, and Zanzibar.
He also mentioned that NTAC had introduced new ICT infrastructure to modernise its operations, launched an in-house magazine and documentary series to showcase its activities, and reactivated its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit under the supervision of the ICPC to ensure fairness in recruitment and deployment.