The Nigerian Railway Corporation has graduated 86 trainees from its Railway Technical Institute in Ebute Metta, Lagos, under a skills acquisition programme organised in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment.
The graduation ceremony, held on May 5, 2026, drew stakeholders from government, academia, and the transport sector, as the corporation reiterated its commitment to youth empowerment and technical manpower development.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, described the graduation as part of the corporation’s strategic investment in building a skilled workforce for national development.
He assured the graduands of employment opportunities, noting that the training had equipped them with practical skills needed in Nigeria’s evolving transport and industrial sectors.
According to him, the trainees underwent intensive hands-on training in several technical fields, including electrical installation, electronics engineering, welding and fabrication, refrigeration and air conditioning, automobile mechanics, carpentry, ICT, fashion design, and printing technology.
Opeifa added that the Railway Technical Institute, established in 1924, remains a critical institution for technical education in Nigeria. He explained that the NRC is currently repositioning the institute through curriculum upgrades, infrastructure renewal, and strategic partnerships aimed at meeting global standards in railway technology and transport innovation.
Also speaking, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Abiola Arogundade, represented by Dr. Abiola Isikalu, commended the NRC for advancing technical education and vocational skills development.
She noted that technical and vocational training remains vital to youth engagement and aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, Ismaeel Ahmed, congratulated the graduands and reaffirmed the initiative’s collaboration with the NRC in promoting clean energy solutions and technical capacity development.
Vice Chancellor of Trinity University, Professor Clement Olusegun Kolawole, also expressed pride in the institution’s partnership with the NRC in manpower development and logistics training.
Earlier, the Principal of the Railway Technical Institute, Kelechi Raphael Nosike, described the graduation as a major milestone, noting that the trainees completed a three-year craft programme across various disciplines.
He praised the NRC management for efforts aimed at upgrading the institute and aligning its programmes with national development priorities.
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