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The Federal Government has welcomed back 72 Nigerian graduates trained in China by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC). These graduates were sponsored by CCECC to study Railway Engineering and other transportation-related courses as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
In a statement released on Saturday by Olujimi Oyetomi, Director of Press and Public Relations for the Transport Ministry, the reception highlighted the government’s commitment to enhancing Indigenous participation in the railway industry. The Honourable Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, underscored the significance of the National Local Content Policy for Railway, developed in 2018, and the government’s efforts to modernize the railway sector through initiatives like the 25-year Railway Modernization Plan.
“The outcome of today’s occasion depicts one of the success stories of the Ministry of Transportation’s initiative, as CCECC has accepted to train Nigerians in China as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility,” the statement read.
Senator Alkali expressed optimism about the graduates’ contributions to the ongoing modernization efforts in the railway sector. He emphasized that the Ministry supports the policy by engaging these graduates as engineers and technicians through on-the-job training programs.
Representing the Vice President, Ibrahim Hadeja praised the graduates for their good behavior and thanked CCECC for their role in developing Nigeria’s infrastructure and manpower. “This initiative is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he remarked, highlighting the importance of enhancing local content in Nigeria’s infrastructure development.
Amos Yuhana, representing the Senate President, welcomed the graduates back to Nigeria, praising their achievements and urging them to use their acquired knowledge and skills to help build the nation’s infrastructure.
Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Nigeria, Weng Yingqi, also commended the graduates for their dedication and emphasized their role as role models for younger Nigerians. He encouraged them to use their expertise to accelerate Nigeria’s development.
CCECC Chairman, Jason Zhang, reiterated his company’s commitment to fostering cooperation between Nigeria and China. “This event is a further testament to greater cooperation between Nigeria and China, and we remain committed to deepening mutual understanding and bilateral relations,” he said.
The event concluded with the graduates signing employment contracts with CCECC, signifying their readiness to contribute to Nigeria’s railway sector.
