The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has graduated 86 trainees from the Railway Technical Institute (RTI), Ebute-Metta, Lagos, under its collaborative skills acquisition programme with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), reaffirming its commitment to youth empowerment and technical manpower development in Nigeria.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, assured the graduands of employment opportunities, noting that the training had equipped them with practical and industry-relevant skills needed to thrive in today’s competitive labour market.
Describing the event as a major step toward workforce development and national growth, Opeifa said the Railway Technical Institute, established in 1924, has remained a strategic institution for training artisans, technicians and skilled professionals in railway operations and other technical fields.
According to him, the graduands completed intensive training in areas such as electrical installations and maintenance, electronics engineering, welding and fabrication, refrigeration and air-conditioning, automobile mechanics, carpentry and joinery, computer engineering and ICT, fashion design and tailoring, painting and decoration, as well as printing technology.
“Today, we proudly celebrate 86 graduands who have successfully completed rigorous training in diverse disciplines. They are now equipped with hands-on skills that will make them productive contributors to the economy,” he said.
Opeifa added that the NRC was taking steps to reposition the institute into a modern and commercially viable centre of excellence capable of supporting industrial growth, economic integration and logistics efficiency in Nigeria.
He disclosed that the corporation was engaging stakeholders and regulatory agencies to upgrade the institute through curriculum enhancement, infrastructure development, faculty training and strategic partnerships with local and international institutions.
“We are aligning our programmes with global realities in railway technology, transport innovation and energy transition to ensure our graduates remain globally competitive,” he said.
The NRC boss urged the graduands to uphold professionalism, innovation and integrity as ambassadors of the Railway Technical Institute and the corporation.
Also speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Dr. Abiola Arogundade, represented by Dr. Abiola Isikalu, commended the NRC for strengthening technical education and youth engagement.
She said vocational and technical education remained critical to achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, particularly in addressing unemployment and boosting entrepreneurship.
Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG and EV), Ismaeel Ahmed, also reaffirmed continued collaboration with the NRC in promoting clean energy solutions and technical workforce development.
“Our partnership will continue to advance natural gas adoption, reduce fuel costs and support a cleaner environment, all of which require skilled technical professionals,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of Trinity University, Yaba, Professor Clement Kolawole, praised the partnership between the university, NRC and RTI in advancing manpower development and logistics training.
Earlier, the Principal of the Railway Technical Institute, Mr. Kelechi Raphael Nosike, described the graduation as a landmark achievement, noting that the trainees had successfully completed a three-year craft training programme designed to prepare them for real-world technical challenges.