The Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, has said that Federal Government is targeting a 40 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) earning from the transportation sector using the ongoing railway reformation programm of the Tinubu led administration.

The Vice- President, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday, while receiving the second  batch of Nigerian railway engineering graduates trained in China under the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company CCECC social responsibility programme. Adding that the
nation’s over 200 million population would be put to use in attaining the target.

The Vice President who was represented by Honourable Ibrahim Hassan Hadeija, noted that the rewed hope agenda, is targeting the In transportation initiative where the country’s highest GDP comes from the transportation sector and possibly the railway  with the capacity to move and utilize the country’s population strength for economic growth.

He congratulated the returning graduates, stressing that they have all it takes to immensely overhaul the sector.

The Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’id Alkali, in his remarks, said the occasion is a testimony to the success stories of the Federal Ministry of Transportation in pursuance of domestication and indigenization of railway technology in Nigeria.

The Minister urged the students to take advantage of the attractive potentialities in Nigeria’s transport sector to play their role towards its development with a sense of responsibility and professionalism.

He said” It is significant to state that the laudable railway projects across the country can only be sustained by trained and skilled manpower which the Nigerian government is proud to utilize as an outcome of your a successful studies.

” the transportation sector as an enabler of economic growth and gateway to the nation’s economy is undergoing a reform that will accommodate your contributions as experts in transportation management, logistics, and administration,” said Alkali.

The Senate President Sen. Godswill Akpabio, who was also represented during the occasion, by Senator Amos Yohana, congratulated the returning graduates, noting that the time has come for them to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s growth.

Appreciating the CCECC, Akpabio said; ” Of great importance is that these graduates were products of Goodwill from CCECC. It is important to acknowledge that it has helped in training over one hundred and ninty of our young citizens. We celebrate them with the companies cooperate responsibilities. We thank them for lighting the candle, not only for these children, but to show the corporate world of the need for such”.

The managing Director of CCECC, Michael Yigao, stated that since 2018, the company had collaborated with the Federal Government of Nigeria and Chang’an University to select and sponsor young Nigerians for further education in China.

He said that the students sponsored by the CCECC underwent a one year language study in China before officially enrolling in their 4-year undergraduate program in Chang’an University, saying, Known as “1+4 program”, this initiate has benefited 40 students who have already returned to Nigeria after graduation last year, and the remaining 72 students have also successfully completed their academic journey in China this year.

“Now, I am delighted to see them sitting here with the joy of graduation on their faces and their hard-earned bachelor’s degrees in their hands. Congratulations to all of you!

“Dear guests, as a company committed to strong corporate social responsibility, CCECC has consistently upheld its pledge to “stride with Nigeria” by sponsoring capability building and transferring technical know-how to young people.

“Today, as we witness this joyous moment, we celebrate not only the achievements of these young students but also the spirit of international cooperation and collaboration between the government of Nigeria, CCECC and Chang’an University”.It is through the combined effort of these parties that lives of these young people have been transformed”.

Alhaji Mamman Mustapha, a graduand, who hail from Maiduguri, Borno state, said that the year 2018, was an extremely fortunate year for all the students. ”It was a year that changed our lives.

“As students jointly trained by CCECC and Chang’an University, it is not only an honor for us personally, but also a great fortune for our families and our country. While CCECC helped us realize our dreams, they also nurtured group of talents who can contribute to the construction of our nation.”

Mustapha, who majored in road and railway transportation, noted that throughout the study in China, that the university provided him with a comprehensive curriculum, laying a solid foundation of knowledge and practical skills for future careers.