Adamu Adamu, Nigeria Education Minister

The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC), toward deploying trained teachers to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the News Agency of Nigetia, NAN reports.

A statement signed by Mr Oluwamuyiwa Ojewuyi, Head, Information/Public Relations, TRCN, on Wednesday, said the MoU would enable the council to participate in the selection, orientation and deployment of well-trained Nigerian volunteer teachers to Africa, Caribbean and Pacific counties.

The statement quoted Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, the Registrar/Chief Executive, TRCN, as having commended DTAC’s decision to involve TRCN in the process.

According to him, it as a welcome development that would further enhance teachers’ quality and professionalism.

“Teaching is the mother of all professions; as such teaching should be accorded the desired respect it deserves,” he said.

Ajiboye assured DTAC that the council would abide by all the rules as contained in the MoU, saying that DTAC was known for helping other countries with manpower drawn from the large pool of Nigeria’s well-trained manpower.

He said TRCN would collaborate with DTAC to strengthen the entire process in the interest of the teaching profession, the benefiting countries and Nigeria at large.

Also, the Director General, DTAC, Dr Pius Osunsikanmi said that DTAC scheme was established in 1987 with a view to streamlining the hitherto cash based foreign aid.

He said after evaluation, the scheme did not have the desired direct impact on the peoples of the needy countries.

“The Federal Government was persuaded to put in place a well-structured and coordinated technical aid corps scheme.

“ Whose mandate was tailored towards the nation’s objectives of giving assistance to needy African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in a way and manner by which the lives of the ordinary citizens of those countries would be impacted.

“The Directorate, however, has remained the sole agency in Nigeria saddled with the responsibility to recruit, orientate and deploy volunteers to needy African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

He said the deployment process was usually based on requests and assessed needs of the needy countries.

According to Osunsikanmi, teachers form a greater percentage of volunteers that the directorate recruit and deploy to recipient countries.

He pointed out that there had been no serious challenges in the calibre of teachers so far deployed, saying the teachers had measured up to standard and quality of volunteer teachers.

“DTAC’s partnership with TRCN without doubt, would improve the standard of volunteer teachers, to be deployed abroad as Nigerian ambassadors,” he said