NRC graduates 86 trainees, assures employment opportunities
The Nigerian Railway Corporation has graduated 86 trainees from the Railway Technical Institute, Ebute Metta, Lagos, under its skills acquisition programme in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment. The
The Nigerian Railway Corporation has graduated 86 trainees from the Railway Technical Institute, Ebute Metta, Lagos, under its skills acquisition programme in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment.
The ceremony, held on May 5, 2026, brought together stakeholders from government, academia and the transport sector, as the Corporation reaffirmed its commitment to technical manpower development and youth empowerment.
Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, said the graduation reflected the Corporation’s deliberate investment in building a skilled workforce for national growth. He assured the graduands of employment opportunities, stressing that the training had prepared them for the demands of the labour market.
“Today, we celebrate 86 graduands who have undergone rigorous, hands on training across multiple technical disciplines. They are equipped with the skills required not just to seek jobs, but to create value within Nigeria’s evolving transport and industrial sectors,” he said.
Opeifa added that the Railway Technical Institute, established in 1924, remained central to the country’s technical training architecture, noting that the NRC was repositioning the institute through curriculum upgrades, infrastructure renewal and strategic partnerships to meet global standards in railway technology and transport innovation.
The trainees were equipped in areas such as electrical installations, electronics engineering, welding and fabrication, refrigeration and air conditioning, automobile mechanics, carpentry, ICT, fashion design and printing technology.
In her remarks, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Abiola Arogundade, represented by Dr Abiola Isikalu, commended the NRC for strengthening technical education. She said vocational training remained critical to youth engagement in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of 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 partnership with the NRC in promoting clean energy solutions.
He said the collaboration would support natural gas adoption, reduce fuel costs and encourage a cleaner environment, while also creating demand for skilled technical personnel.
Vice Chancellor of Trinity University, Professor Clement Olusegun Kolawole, said the institution was proud of its partnership with the NRC in manpower development and logistics training.
Earlier, the Principal of the Railway Technical Institute, Mr Kelechi Raphael Nosike, described the event as a milestone, noting that the trainees completed a three year craft programme across various disciplines.
He commended the NRC management for its efforts to upgrade the institute and align its programmes with national development priorities.
