The Federal Government has called for a stronger public communication strategy to improve Nigerians’ awareness of the country’s foreign policy initiatives and the role of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC) in advancing Nigeria’s global influence.

The call forms part of efforts to reposition Nigeria’s diplomacy under President Bola Tinubu’s 4-D foreign policy doctrine.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call during a courtesy visit by the Director General of NTAC, Yusuf Buba Yakub, and the agency’s management team in Abuja.

According to a statement, the minister said that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NTAC had continued to fulfil their mandates, many Nigerians remained largely unaware of their achievements and contributions.

He stressed that sustained media engagement and strategic public communication were essential to deepening public understanding and support for Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives.

Enikanolaiye commended the ministry’s spokesperson for efforts to publicise its activities but said broader public diplomacy was needed as the ministry implements wide-ranging reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He explained that the reforms are aimed at aligning Nigeria’s external relations with national priorities through the 4-D foreign policy framework of Demography, Democracy, Development and Diaspora.

The minister described NTAC as a critical vehicle for implementing the policy, applauding the agency for delivering significant results despite limited resources.

Earlier, NTAC Director General Yusuf Buba Yakub said the agency, established in 1987, serves as a key instrument of Nigeria’s soft power diplomacy by deploying skilled Nigerian professionals to support development programmes in partner countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Yakub disclosed that more than 10,000 Nigerian professionals have been deployed to over 40 countries since the scheme began, helping to strengthen institutions, improve public service delivery and build human capacity. He noted that many former volunteers now occupy senior academic and administrative positions in their host countries.

He also cited the appointment of an NTAC volunteer to lead Sierra Leone’s COVID-19 response as evidence of the programme’s growing international recognition, adding that the agency has earned commendation from African countries, the United Nations and other multilateral organisations.

According to Yakub, 274 Nigerian professionals are currently serving in 13 countries, including The Gambia, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Benin Republic, Jamaica and Seychelles.

He added that negotiations were at an advanced stage to finalise new technical aid agreements with Zambia, Ethiopia, Angola, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados, further expanding Nigeria’s diplomatic footprint through technical cooperation.