Nigeria, Namibia push for deeper bilateral cooperation

Namibia is itching to deepen bilateral relations with Nigeria by understudying the operations of the  Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Mr Humphrey Geiseb, its envoy to Nigeria, has said.

Geiseb stated this  during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of NTAC, Dr Yusuf Yakub, in Abuja, last Friday.

The envoy said that 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 added that Nigeria remained Namibia’s  ‘big brother,’ having contributed immensely to Namibia’s independence struggles and its development in diverse sectors.

The envoy said that Nigeria’s contributions to the country preceded Namibia’s independence.

He listed 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.

He also lauded the TAC scheme for being the means through which Namibia achieved an abundance of medical professionals and teachers, who were prepared to export their skills to other countries.

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.

He stressed that hosting a new session of the joint commission, which was established in 2000, and met last 14 years ago, would make for deeper ties and advance the identified interests of both countries.

Responding, Yakub, expressed gratitude to the high commissioner for the visit.

He reiterated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to providing technical assistance to brother nations across Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific countries.

He also 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.

Yakub reiterated that the TAC scheme served to  ensure the transfer of technical skills and cultural exchanges to the benefiting countries, among other benefits.

He added that  a lot had changed with changing times between  both countries in the area of receiving the TAC Volunteers

“However, we will not hesitate to answer the requests of Namibia in whatever areas of technical need or tutelage whenever such requests came,” he said.

The TAC boss also assured his visitor that he would in the coming days,  seek audience with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb.  Yusuf Tuggar, to communicate Namibia’s interest in holding a new session of the Joint Commission.

The Tide source reports that also present at the meeting were the Director of Administration of NTAC, Amb.Yakubu  Ahmed, and the Director of Programmes, Amb. Zakari Usman.

NTAC’s Deputy Director and Head of Accounts, Mrs Meimunat Mustapha, Under Secretary, Namibian High Commission, Abuja, Mr Morris Sisinzi, also attended the meeting.