Nigeria, Namibia Push For Closer Co-operation
By Bukar BOLORI
In a bid to deepen bilateral relations between Nigeria and Namibia, the latter has expressed interest in understudying the operations of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps and recommitting to the ideals of the Nigeria-Namibia Joint Commission of Co-operation.
This was the high point of discussions held between the Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Humphrey Geiseb, and the Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, during a visit by the Namibian Envoy to the Technical Aid Corps office in Abuja.
While noting that the commendable impacts of the Technical Aid Corps Scheme over the past years in their country have left no one in doubt as to its desirability, Amb. Geiseb said Nigeria remains a big-brother nation that made immense contributions to Namibia’s independence struggles and the development of the country in diverse sectors, including Health, Agriculture, Education, Oil and Gas and the Economy, even before the country gained independence.
He recalled that some of the best crops of Civil and Public Service professionals that grew to become Permanent Secretaries, Directors as well as medical professionals and teachers, whose availability ensured a smooth transition from their colonial masters in a newly independent Namibia, were trained by Nigerians.
He again lauded the TAC Scheme for being the means through which his country has today achieved an abundance of medical professionals and teachers,who are even at present prepared to export their skills to other countries.
He added that part of the reasons for his visit was also to learn best practices from the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps with regards to its operations, including seeking ways to, in the foreseeable future, request for some identified capacities that may still be lacking in their country.
Ambassador Geiseb also used the opportunity of the visit to push for greater efforts at the Ministerial level between Nigeria and Namibia to re-energize the noble objectives of the Nigeria-Namibia Joint Commission of Co-operation,while stressing that hosting a new Session of the Joint Commission established in the year 2000 and last met fourteen years ago would make for deeper bilateral ties and advance the identified interests of both countries.
Responding,the TAC DG, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, expressed gratitude to the Namibian Envoy for the visit.
He reiterated the commitment of the Tinubu Administration to continue to provide technical assistance to brother nations across Africa,the Caribbean and Pacific countries and lauded the vision of the founding fathers of the TAC Scheme,which he pointed out,had in the past 37 years broken foisted geographic barriers among brothers,ensured transfer of technical skills and midwifed cultural exchanges,among other benefits.
He said, although a lot had changed with changing times between the both countries in the area of receiving the Corps’ Volunteers,TAC, however ,would not hesitate to answer the requests of Namibia in whatever areas of technical need or tutelage whenever such requests came.
The TAC boss also assured his visitor that he would in the coming days seek audience with the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar,to communicate Namibia’s interest in convoying a new Session of the Joint Commission.
Among those present at the meeting were the Director of Administration at the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Amb. Yakubu Abdullahi Ahmed; the Director of Programmes,Amb. Zakari Usman as well as Mrs Meimunat Haruna Mustapha, a Deputy Director and Head of Accounts at the Agency.
Others included Mr Lawal Adekola, Assistant Director in-charge of Internal Audit; Mrs Caroline Osimnobi of the Accounts Department and Mr Lawandy Bala, Special Assistant to the Director General on Protocol Matters,among others.
The Namibian Envoy was accompanied on the visit by Mr Morris Sisinzi, an Under Secretary at the Namibia High Commission in Abuja.
