Vice President Kashim Shettima Friday 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, Shettima noted that the renewed hope agenda was targeting the transportation initiative, one of which the country has its highest Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
The vice president, represented by Hon. Ibrahim Hadeija, said the federal government targets 40 percent 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.
Recall that Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) has 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, The Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, assured of the government’s commitment to collaborate with CCECC in appreciation of its efforts working with the present administration.
Alkali noted 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.
Also, The Managing Director of CCECC, Michael Yigao, said that the company since 2018 has collaborated with the federal government and Chang’an University to select and sponsor young Nigerians for further education in China.
Under this program, Yigao hinted that the students sponsored by CCECC underwent a one-year language study in China before officially enrolling in their 4-year undergraduate program in Chang’an University Known as “1+4 program”.
He noted: “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.”