The Federal Government on Friday, 5th July 2024, received 72 Nigerians who were earlier sponsored by Chinese Engineering and Construction Company (CECC).
In 2019, they were sent to China to study Railway Engineering and other Transportation-related courses by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) as part of its social corporate responsibility.
At the reception for the new graduates, the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Alkali disclosed 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 subsector 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.
Furthermore, the Minister 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.”””
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, which he said is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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. ”
Speaking also at the epoch event, 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.
