72 Nigerian graduates trained in China by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company on Railway technology and related courses, have successfully completed their courses and returned to the country.
The graduates were sponsored by CCECC as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.
According to the Director, Press and Public Relations, Transport Ministry, Olujimi Oyetomi, while receiving the graduands, the Hon. Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, highlighted the government’s commitment to Indigenous participation in the railway industry.
He also emphasizing the significance of the National Local Content Policy for Railway, developed in 2018.
This, according to the Minister, is borne out of the realisation of the enormous roles played by the rail transport subsector in the country, which further made the government introduce the “Advocacy for Enhanced Local Content in Nigeria’s Infrastructure Development based on Nigerian – Chinese Bi-lateral Agreements” and thereafter, directed the Federal Ministry of Transportation to look at various steps to ensure effective implementation of the policy.
The Minister said “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 “.
Alkali expressed optimism about the graduates’ contributions to the government’s ongoing efforts to modernize the railway sector.
The Vice President, who was represented at the reception ceremony for the engineers, by
Ibrahim Hadeja, commended the graduates for their good behaviour 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 said.
Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Nigeria, Weng Yingqi, commended the graduates for returning to serve their country, emphasizing their role as exemplars for younger Nigerians.
CCECC Chairman, Jason Zhang, expressed his company’s ongoing commitment to fostering cooperation between Nigeria and China.
He said “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.
