In a heartfelt end-of-year message, Dr. Yusuf Yakub, the Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), has projected a hopeful outlook for the nation’s economic prospects in 2026 while extending warm felicitations to citizens on the celebrations of Christmas and the New Year.
The message, delivered in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Nkem Anyata-Lafia, comes at a pivotal time as Nigeria reflects on the closing year and looks ahead to new beginnings. Dr. Yakub framed 2025 as concluding on “very glorious notes,” citing the evident blessings of God upon the nation. This sentiment serves as a foundation for his call for renewed national unity and collective effort.
Moving beyond seasonal greetings, the NTAC boss issued a substantive call to action, urging Nigerians to embrace a spirit of “closer unity and all-encompassing love.” He elaborated that such solidarity is not merely a festive ideal but a practical prerequisite for national progress. “It is when the greater percentage of the people in the land that are celebrating exhibit the we-feelings of love, camaraderie and oneness that the entire country becomes a huge carnival of celebration and conviviality,” he stated.
Dr. Yakub provided a tangible framework for this unity, advising citizens to “imbibe the deepest feelings of good neighbourliness.” He emphasized that the joy of the season should be actively propagated through acts of sharing gifts and extending friendship, consciously setting aside differences in creed or tongue. This, he argued, is the bedrock of a stable society: “When this happens, Nigeria can not but remain peaceful, united and rise above all the existing or imaginary minor threats to security.”
The Director-General also addressed the critical relationship between the citizenry and the government. He called for “greater faith in political leaders and their ability to turn things around,” explicitly requesting continuous support and prayers for President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the leadership of the National Assembly, and state governors. This appeal underscores the NTAC’s role within Nigeria’s foreign policy and technical diplomacy framework, suggesting that domestic stability and confidence are essential for effective international engagement and partnership.
The NTAC, as an agency, facilitates the sharing of Nigerian expertise with other African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. Dr. Yakub’s optimism for 2026’s economic advancement likely ties into this mandate, anticipating a period where a cohesive and peaceful Nigeria can more robustly contribute to and benefit from South-South cooperation, thereby reinforcing its economic standing. His dual focus on internal unity and external faith in leadership highlights the interconnectedness of social cohesion, governance, and national development.
In essence, Dr. Yakub’s message transforms a routine festive greeting into a strategic commentary on national morale. It connects the personal ethics of the holiday season—generosity, love, and hope—with the public virtues required for economic advancement and security in the coming year. His vision for 2026 is thus predicated on a collective national resolve to foster unity from the grassroots upward, supporting leadership while actively building a more convivial society.
