Nigeria Deploys 11 Technical Aid Volunteers to Rwanda, Urges Professional Service

 

By Atlantic Reports

NTAC Charges Volunteers to Represent Nigeria Well

The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps gave the charge on Monday during an orientation and homecoming programme at its headquarters in Abuja.

The programme was organised for 11 volunteers preparing to begin assignments in Rwanda and 10 returning volunteers who had completed their service in the country.

The Director-General of NTAC, Dr Yusuf Yakub, was represented at the event by Falusi Oladapo, an assistant director in the agency’s Programmes Department.

Yakub expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, for their support for the programme.

He described NTAC as a strategic institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that had contributed to meeting manpower needs across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific over more than three decades.

Commending the returning volunteers, he said they had represented Nigeria creditably during their assignments.

New Volunteers Urged to Uphold National Image

Yakub described the selection of the incoming volunteers as a privilege, noting that they had emerged from thousands of applicants following examinations and interviews conducted by the agency.

“Out of millions of Nigerians, you were chosen. The jacket you wear is not an ordinary uniform. It is a uniform that represents a great country, Nigeria,” he said.

He urged the volunteers to approach their assignments with passion, dignity and professionalism, stressing that their work would serve both Nigeria and humanity.

Yakub encouraged them to demonstrate their strengths at their respective workplaces and uphold the standards expected of Nigerian representatives abroad.

“You are expected to be great ambassadors of this country. You will be monitored, and we want to receive reports of excellence,” he added.

He also advised them to observe official communication channels and avoid conduct that could damage Nigeria’s image. He assured the volunteers that their welfare had been prioritised and wished them a safe journey and a successful two-year assignment.

Returning Volunteer Highlights Lessons in Peace

One of the returning volunteers, Dr Hafsat Modibbo, who served at the University of Central Africa Adventist in Rwanda, described her two-year assignment as rewarding, although the initial period presented challenges.

“It was a challenge from the beginning but we quickly adjusted and we believe we have delivered successfully,” she said.

Modibbo, founder of the Amir Kalajima Foundation and a peace ambassador, said Rwanda’s experience following the 1994 genocide had reinforced for her the importance of peace and resilience.

She recalled visiting memorial sites and said the experience had left her with a strong message against a recurrence of mass violence.

“As a mother, as a sister and a daughter, nobody would want to experience such. We visited the memorial sites. The concept I brought back is ‘Never Again’,” she said.

She urged Nigerians to approach political differences peacefully and avoid actions that could threaten national harmony.

Modibbo also noted similarities between Nigeria and Rwanda in food and lifestyle, adding that the volunteers had shared knowledge with students during their assignments.

Academic Volunteer Reports Research Achievements

Another returning volunteer, Dr Thompson Friday, an associate professor, described his time in Rwanda as academically rewarding.

He said he published 60 papers in Q1 and Q2 academic journals during his assignment and that members of his research team had also participated in a project that secured a grant from the Red Cross Society.

Friday said the research project was partially completed, adding that the host institution had indicated its intention to continue engaging the team after the end of their contracts.

His account highlighted the potential for technical aid assignments to strengthen academic collaboration and expand research opportunities between participating countries.

Incoming Team Promises Knowledge-Sharing

Speaking on behalf of the incoming volunteers, Dr Olani Oladipo of the Federal University, Wukari, commended the Federal Government for sustaining bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Rwanda.

He said the team intended to promote peace, encourage harmony and contribute professional and research expertise to their host institutions.

“We are going there to work, promote peace and harmony, and bring our research expertise to add value. We will build on the reputation established by our predecessors,” he said.

Prof. Abubakar Kazu, a professor of accounting at the University of Ilorin, also pledged that the volunteers would uphold Nigeria’s reputation throughout their assignments.

“We are happy to have been selected. We are committing ourselves not to bring the country to shame,” he said, expressing hope that the team would return with positive records after two years.

Dr Aisha Tunguzi-Eze of the Enugu State College of Education Technical thanked NTAC for selecting the volunteers and pledged to promote peace and perform their duties efficiently.

“We are going to be good ambassadors. We will protect the interests of Nigerians and fill the gap in the educational sector,” she said.

She also commended the Federal Government for its support, saying payments had not been delayed and that necessary assistance had been provided during their assignments.

Technical Aid Scheme Supports Professional Exchange

The volunteers said the NTAC programme had helped project Nigeria’s image abroad while strengthening South-South cooperation and professional exchanges between participating countries.

The deployment also highlights the role of international technical assistance in sharing expertise across education, research and other professional fields.

For the new volunteers, the challenge will be to translate their skills into meaningful contributions at their host institutions while maintaining the professional standards expected of representatives serving outside Nigeria.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.