Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps Engagement in The Gambia, 1987-2012: A Neglected Aspect of Nigerian Foreign Relations

Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps (TAC) is one of the major planks of the Nigerian foreign policy constructed to complement the nation’s traditional diplomacy. Under its platform, Nigerian educational and cultural talents have been showcased to the world particularly in the African, Caribbean and the Pacific regions. The chapter falls in love with The Gambia of the West African sub-region due to the under representation of this aspect in the historical narrative of the bilateral relations between the two countries. It is against this background the chapter examines the contributions of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps to the development of The Gambia. Using concentric circles theory and gleaning on evidence garnered from diverse sources since the historical foundation of the Scheme, the chapter notes that, Nigeria has consistently contributed to the development of The Gambia through biennial deployment of her professionals. It is the contention of the chapter that the Technical Aid Corps appears to have built on the age long ties that had existed between Nigeria and The Gambia as both played fundamental role in the trans-Saharan trade, Islamic Jihad reforms in West Africa and were former colonies of Britain having similar foreign policy and linkages in the sub- region. It is the conclusion of the chapter that despite some challenges, experts sent out found no difficulty at all in blending with the society due to cultural similarities and linkages between Nigerian and The Gambian society.