The Federal Government at the Weekend received 72 Nigerians young graduates of Railway Engineering in Abuja.

In 2019, the Chinese Engineering and Construction Company (CECC) at the request of the government sponsored these young Nigerians between ages 18 and 19 years to China to study railway engineering.

The graduates were to also study other Transportation-related courses in China as part of Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) social corporate responsibility in Nigeria.

While receiving the 72 Engineers, the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Alkali, explained that the federal government in pursuant of indigenous participation in the development and operation of the railway industry, developed the  National Local Content Policy for Railway in 2018.

This, according to the Minister, is borne  out of the realization of the enormous roles played by the rail transport sub sector in the country, which further made the government to 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 outcome of  today’s  occasion, Alkali said,  depicts one of the success stories of the Ministry of Transportation’s initiative, as  CCECC accepting to train Nigerians in China as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, of which they have sustained sponsorship of these Nigerians, this, being the second batch of students , who have acquired knowledge in various developmental fields.

According to a statement by Olujimi Oyetomi, the Minister further expressed the hope that the graduates will contribute towards the current efforts of the Government to revitalize and re-model the railway sub-sector under the 25 years Railway Modernization Plan by bringing to bear the knowledge acquired in the course of their studies.

He further informed that the Ministry of Transportation supports the policy by engaging them as engineers and technicians through “On the Job training programmes

The statement said before the signing of the International Agreement of Employment between CCECC and the new graduates, the Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen.  Kashim Shettima, represented by Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadeja, while congratulating the returning graduates for being of good behaviour, also thanked CECC for realizing Nigeria’s need to develop not just infrastructure but manpower by providing quality education as well as  the technical know-how and requisite knowledge to man and support the Federal Government’s initiative to “enhance local content in Nigeria’s infrastructure development.

Also speaking, the  Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, who was represented by Sen. Amos Yuhana, said:  “As a catalyst of change and transformation and a champion of progress, it is my distinct honour to welcome this extra ordinary Nigerian graduates, who have returned to help us build the walls of our country. 

“We have come to unveil the hidden treasures of these remarkable individuals who have traversed and chatted territories of learning in China and pushed the boundaries of human potentials. They have returned to us now, not as mere travellers, but as professionals and with knowledge, skills, and burning desires to shape the destiny of our great nation. “

On his part, the Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Nigeria,  Weng Yingqi, extolled their decision of the graduates to come back and serve the country, noting that this will serve as a good example to younger Nigerians, while admonishing them to use the knowledge and skills acquired to provide the backbone to accelerate the development of a great Nigeria.

In his presentation, the Chairman, CCECC, Jason Zhang, said the event is a further testament to greater cooperation between Nigeria and China, expressing the company’s continual commitment to deepen the mutual understanding and bilateral relations.

“The high point of the event was the contract signing of employment by the graduates, accepting positions with the CCECC” the statement concluded.