Shettima Receives Second Batch of Nigerian Railway Engineering Graduates From China

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja 

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, yesterday received the second batch of Nigerian railway engineering graduates trained in China under the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) social responsibility programme.

Receiving the graduates on behalf of the Nigerian government, Vice President Shettima, noted that the Renewed Hope Agenda was targeting the transportation initiative, one of which the country has its highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

While congratulating the returning graduates, he stated that they are now good products to contribute immensely in revamping the sector.

The vice president, represented by Hon. Ibrahim Hassan Hadeija, said: “The Federal Government of Nigeria, targets 40 per cent of its GDP from the transportation sector to fully utilise the nation’s population of over 200 million, hence the ongoing railway sector reformation programme.”

It would be recalled that CCECC had already dispatched first set of railway engineering graduates who are already working at various sections offices of railway engineering company and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC)

Earlier, Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, assured the government’s commitment to collaborate with Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), in appreciation of its efforts working with the present administration.

Senator Alkali said that the company’s efforts and the programme execution, was in line with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda targeted at bringing democratic dividends to Nigerians through several collaborative efforts of multinational companies in the country.

On his part, the Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, represented at the event by Senator Amos Yohana, congratulated the returning graduates noting that it was time for the trained engineers to contribute meaningfully to the economy of the nation.

He stressed that the importance of the programme was that the graduates were products of goodwill from CCECC. 

“It is important to acknowledge that it has helped in training over one hundred and ninety of our young citizens. We celebrate them with the company’s corporate responsibilities. We thank them for lighting the candle, not only for these children, but to show the corporate world the need for such.”

Similarly, The Managing Director of CCECC, Michael Yigao, said that the company since 2018 has collaborated with the government of Nigeria and Chang’an University to select and sponsor young Nigerians for further education in China.

Under this programme, Yigao hinted that the students sponsored by CCECC underwent a one-year language study in China before officially enrolling in their four-year undergraduate programme in Chang’an University Known as “1+4 program”.

According to him, “This initiative 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.”