THE need to continuously employ the Technical Aids Corps (TAC) as a strategic foreign policy tool was again restated as prospective volunteers began their interview process.
Chief executive officer of the scheme, Ambassador Mamman Daura, yesterday made the call at a briefing to herald the start of the interview process of specialised candidates who have been drawn from all the states of the federation.
No fewer than 5,000 volunteers from all the states of the federation were being interviewed during the programme in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The prospective volunteers, according to him, have the task of helping to build a positive image for Nigeria as it recovers from decades of battered psyche occasioned by the poor conduct of a few of its citizens abroad.
Over 20 countries are directly benefitting from the Nigerian TAC programme with about, 1,000 volunteers of skilled professional Nigerians in the field of medicine, nursing, engineering, law and teaching sent to 30 countries in the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries since inception in 1997.
The countries include Gambia, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, Namibia, Belize, Ethiopia, Kenya (Shelter Afrique), Congo Brazzaville, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, Guyana and commonwealth Dominica.
Giving further explanation on the tasks at hand, Ambassador Daura said the image component and the need to present Nigeria as an investors’ destination has become imperative now that the scheme is being used as the main artery for enhancing the South-South Cooperation (Technical) through the Group of 77 countries (G77).
The processes have already been initiated for some of the TAC volunteers to be sent to countries where Nigeria does not have diplomatic presence. This, however, includes missions with concurrent accreditation.
The TAC helmsman disclosed further that prior to the retooling of the economic co-operation on Nigeria’s foreign policy with TAC, the impact of Nigeria’s assistance to countries of assessed and perceived needs was usually lost on the people.
He debunked insinuations that Nigeria was depleting its stock of expertise through TAC.
He said: “Nigeria is one of the few countries in our region with a surfeit of experts. We receive over a huge number of applications for this exercise. We have a large pool of qualified manpower. So we are exposing them, giving them more commitment, wider horizon and approach to governance. Now, the tremendous goodwill that it brings back to the country is invaluable”.