The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has graduated 86 trainees from its technical institute as part of efforts to deepen technical capacity and expand Nigeria’s transport workforce. The graduation, held during the institute’s 28th convocation ceremony, covered the 2024 and 2025 academic years.
The programme was conducted in collaboration with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), with participants completing a three-year training designed to equip them with practical and entrepreneurial skills.
Significant milestone for railway modernisation
Speaking at the ceremony earlier in the week, the Managing Director of NRC, Kayode Opeifa, described the event as a significant milestone in the corporation’s drive to build a skilled workforce capable of supporting railway modernisation and broader economic growth. He insisted that the institute remained central to developing technical manpower, noting that its training approach prioritises hands-on learning and practical competence.
Opeifa added that the NRC was undergoing reforms in alignment with the Federal Government’s transport modernisation agenda, focusing on human capital development, infrastructure renewal and improved operational efficiency. He disclosed that plans were underway to upgrade the institute to offer National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes in railway engineering and other transport-related disciplines. According to him, the curriculum for the programmes was being reviewed to reflect emerging trends in railway technology, energy transition and transport innovation.
Training in key technical fields
The graduates received training in key technical fields including electrical installation, welding and fabrication, automobile mechanics, refrigeration and air conditioning, carpentry, ICT, fashion design and printing technology.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the institute’s Principal, Kelechi Nosike, said the trainees underwent rigorous instruction over three years, equipping them with both employable and entrepreneurial skills. He noted that the institute had consistently recorded strong results in examinations conducted by the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, maintaining a success rate of over 80 per cent.
Nosike stressed that technical education was vital to Nigeria’s industrial growth, adding that the graduates were well-positioned to contribute to the economy as skilled workers or job creators. He also urged NRC management to consider absorbing outstanding graduates and long-serving part-time instructors to further strengthen institutional capacity.
Commendation for youth empowerment
In a goodwill message, Executive Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas, Ismaeel Ahmed, represented by Olayinka Rufai, commended the NRC for sustaining youth empowerment through technical training. He said building a skilled workforce was key to advancing Nigeria’s transition to cleaner and more affordable energy solutions, particularly within the transport sector.
The ceremony featured the presentation of certificates, awards to outstanding students across departments and recognition of the overall best graduates for both academic sets.
