Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

Deeming herself as Africa’s Big Brother, and standing on her Afrocentric foreign policy convictions, Nigeria has since the years of independence, made robust contributions towards the development of Africa. Among such efforts by Nigeria to assist the socioeconomic development of her African brothers, is the Technical Aid Corps scheme (TAC), designed as integral of Nigeria’s aid package for Africa, aimed at assisting needy African states with Nigeria’s large pool of trained professionals and technical manpower, to fast track their socio-economic transformation, and enhance development. This paper discusses the trajectory of TAC as Nigeria’s foreign aid initiative, with the view to demonstrating how it fits into Africa’s development need and agenda. The paper argues that though the TAC scheme has made significant developmental impacts, but has been discredited by a number of realities. Aligning itself with the thinking of the realist apologists, this paper posits that though there is always a place for charity in the affairs of nations, but generosity without an eye for the national interest amounts to illusion. It concludes that the TAC scheme typifies an economically unprofitable Africa-centered foreign policy that does not worth Nigeria’s commitment.

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