After nearly four decades of quietly exporting expertise and goodwill across continents, Nigeria’s commitment to global development has earned it a new position of influence — a full membership seat on the Total Official Support for Sustainable Development Goals (TOSSD) platform.
For years, Nigeria’s contributions through the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) have supported education, healthcare, and professional capacity in developing countries — often without fanfare. Now, that dedication has been formally recognized on the world stage.
At the TOSSD General Assembly Meeting in Madrid, Spain, Nigeria’s efforts were presented before representatives of 28 EU member states and other global stakeholders. Following this presentation, the country was unanimously admitted as a full member and given a place on the TOSSD Steering Committee — a decision that positions Nigeria not just as a beneficiary of development initiatives, but as a provider and policymaker in global sustainability efforts.
“TOSSD’s recognition of Nigeria’s 38-year record of technical assistance reflects our consistent belief that true development means shared knowledge and shared growth,” said Yusuf Yakub, Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Headquartered in Paris, TOSSD functions as a global platform that tracks and coordinates international financial flows supporting the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. It includes official development funding, private sector investments encouraged by public institutions, and domestic efforts to promote global public goods such as health security and climate resilience.
Nigeria’s new role in this body represents a strategic turning point. It signals a shift from being primarily a recipient of development aid to an active architect of global cooperation. With a growing footprint in international diplomacy and development collaboration, Nigeria joins other key members such as France, Greece, Norway, and Qatar in shaping the metrics and policies that guide global sustainability efforts.
Yakub noted that the membership offers a platform for Nigeria to influence global policies in areas like education, healthcare, and professional development — fields where the Technical Aid Corps has already made tangible impacts across Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond.
“This is not just an honour for Nigeria,” Yakub said. “It’s recognition that our model of technical cooperation — sending trained professionals to nations that need them — is a sustainable development strategy that works.”
As the world strives toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, Nigeria’s inclusion in TOSSD’s core leadership signals a broader story: Africa’s rising role not just in conversations about development, but in designing and delivering it.
