The Government of Namibia has sought to deepen bilateral relations with Nigeria by understudying the operations of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC).
The High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria, Humphrey Geiseb, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of NTAC, Dr. Yusuf Yakub, in Abuja on Friday.
The envoy said understudying NTAC‘s operations was necessary to recommit to the ideals of the Nigeria-Namibia Joint Commission of Co-operation.
Geiseb lauded the impact of the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Scheme over the past years in his country, noting that it had left no one in doubt about its desirability.
He said Nigeria’s contributions to the country preceded Namibia’s independence, listing the benefiting sectors as health, agriculture, education, as well as oil and gas.
Geiseb recalled that some of the best crops of civil and public service professionals later grew to become permanent secretaries, directors, medical professionals and teachers in Namibia.
According to him, such professionals were trained by Nigerians and their availability ensured a smooth transition from their colonial masters in a newly independent Namibia.
Part of the reasons for his visit, he said, was to learn best practices from NTAC with regards to its operations, and seek future ways to address some identified capacities that might still be lacking in Namibia.
The envoy also solicited for greater efforts between Nigeria and Namibia at the ministerial level to re-energise the noble objectives of the Nigeria-Namibia Joint Commission.
Responding, Yakub expressed gratitude to the high commissioner for the visit.
He reiterated the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to providing technical assistance to brother nations across Africa, The Caribbean and Pacific countries.
Yakub reiterated that the TAC scheme served to ensure the transfer of technical skills and cultural exchanges to the benefiting countries, among other benefits.
“However, we will not hesitate to answer the requests of Namibia in whatever areas of technical need or tutelage whenever such requests come,” he said.
The TAC boss also assured his visitor that he would in the coming days, seek an audience with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, to communicate Namibia’s interest in holding a new session of the Joint Commission. (NAN)