NTAC DG Bags Honorary Doctorate for Exemplary Leadership, Seeks Deeper Institutional Collaboration

Daily Rendezvous

Abuja, Nigeria – The Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, has been conferred with an Honorary Doctoral Fellowship by the Emergency Crisis and Risk Management Institute in recognition of his outstanding leadership, competence, and unwavering professionalism.

The prestigious award, which also includes an honorary fellowship, was presented during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Institute to the NTAC headquarters. The honour celebrates Dr. Yakub’s impactful stewardship of NTAC, a government agency that has, since its establishment in 1987, deployed over 10,000 skilled Nigerian volunteers to more than 40 African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries.

Speaking during the event, the Director-General of the Emergency Crisis and Risk Management Institute, Dr. Chuks Akawo, commended Dr. Yakub’s transformative leadership and the role NTAC continues to play in promoting international cooperation and humanitarian support. He expressed admiration for NTAC’s recent participation in a high-level conference and discussed potential areas of collaboration between both institutions, including academic and research-based programmes such as postgraduate and PhD initiatives.

Dr. Akawo was accompanied by notable figures including Mr. Dieudonné Nikiema, Manager of the ECOWAS Peace Fund, and Reverend Stephen A.O. Paul, a Fellow of the Institute. They were warmly received by senior NTAC officials, including Amb. Yakubu Abdullahi Ahmed, Director of Administration; Amb. Zakari Usman, Director of Programmes; Mrs. Meimunat Haruna-Mustapha, Deputy Director and Head of Accounts; Alhaji Adekola Lawal, Assistant Director and Head of Internal Audit; and Mr. Debo Fehintola.

In his remarks, Dr. Yakub thanked the visiting delegation for the honour and reaffirmed NTAC’s readiness to partner with the Emergency Crisis and Risk Management Institute and other relevant stakeholders to promote peace, capacity-building, and sustainable development across regions in need.

He stressed that the accolades are not just a personal honour, but a testament to the vision and achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration through NTAC’s evolving role in Nigeria’s foreign policy and humanitarian diplomacy.

“These recognitions speak not just to my personal journey, but to our collective efforts at NTAC, and most importantly, to Mr. President’s commitment to national resilience and global solidarity,” Dr. Yakub said.

The visit concluded with mutual expressions of interest in building a long-term institutional partnership aimed at tackling global emergencies, enhancing professional development, and bridging capacity gaps across developing nations.