The federal government, on Saturday, welcomed 15 returning Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Volunteers from the Republic of Benin.

Yusuf Yakub,  the director-general of the Nigerian Technical Aid (NTAC), during a reception and debriefing ceremony for the volunteers, commended them for their service to humanity.

Mr Yakub reiterated the support of the agency in facilitating the process of retaining the services of any volunteer that had been offered employment in their host country.

He said that the government was proud of their services to humanity through bridging both the educational and professional gaps in African, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) countries.

He conveyed the appreciation of President Bola Tinubu in line with the agency’s mandate towards the promotion of Nigeria’s foreign policy goals by using soft power diplomacy.

The director-general said that, through the TAC scheme, the government had continued to send the correct signals to the entire world.

“The signal is that Nigeria is ever ready to continue to champion the quest for a better world through a more productive demography in ACP nations.

“The sacrifices we make today may not come easy, but our leaders understand that, until you sacrifice something dear to you to make life better for others, many lives may never achieve the true essence of living.

“We thank you for the quality service you have collectively rendered to our sister country and appreciate the fact that you have earned the respect and love of the people of Benin Republic,” he said.

Mr Yakubu was represented by his special assistant on media and publicity, Nkem Anyata-Lafia,

Earlier, presenting the volunteers to the director-general, Amb. Zakari Usman, director of programmes at the agency, highlighted the significance of the exercise.

Mr Usman, represented by Hauwa Arabo-Mustapha, a senior counsellor at the Corps, said that the debriefing exercise was an essential part of the NTAC ‘s operational framework.

He said that it afforded the agency the opportunity to document the individual experiences of the volunteers and to capture the lessons learnt.

According to him, the exercise will offer the agency the opportunity to share the knowledge garnered with future volunteers.

He said that it would also  provide future volunteers with valuable insights and best practices as well as identifying areas for improvement.

He said that their input as volunteers during the exercise would be instrumental to shaping the future of the organisation and in strengthening Nigeria’s role in international development co-operation.

Ologu Norisa-Olukayode, team leader of the volunteers, commended the federal government for the opportunity to impact on the lives of the people of Benin.

Norisa-Olukayode said that the agency met many of the volunteers’ needs, adding there were some challenges.

(NAN)