The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has officially handed over the newly completed $50 million Federal University of Transportation, Daura to the Federal Government.
Speaking during the handover in Abuja, Jason Zhang, chairman of the CCECC in Nigeria, said construction of the project, situated in Daura, Katsina State, started in 2019 and is a testament to bilateral cooperation poised to bolster education and infrastructure development in the region.
He said, “The first phase of the project has led to the employment of over 1,000 youths as part of its corporate social responsibility to strengthen China’s relation with Nigeria.
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“Also, the university, which is the first of its kind in Africa, will modernize transport infrastructure in Nigeria and allow young Nigerians to pursue their academic ambitions.”
In his remarks, Said Alkali, Minister of Transportation, said the university project was a giant initiative in partnership with the CCECC. He added that as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, it has sponsored over 200 Nigerian students to China to study transport and rail engineering, among others
‘’Federal University of Transportation, Daura is an investment by CCECC with the total amount of $50 million dollars as one of the ways given back to Nigeria, to help in technical advancement, adding that the implementation of this project has provided more than 600 jobs, and many technical exchange programs were conducted.’’
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He also said the federal government would give the necessary support for the university to thrive and produce the needed capacity for growth and development in the country.
Also speaking, Adam Katsayal, vice chancellor of the Federal University of Transportation, said the institution was not a conventional university but first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. He called on youths who are interested in building a career in transportation engineering to apply as it has commenced academic activities with 600 students.
