The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has graduated 86 trainees from its Railway Technical Institute (RTI), reinforcing its push to build a skilled workforce for Nigeria’s transport and industrial sectors.
The graduands, trained under a collaborative skills acquisition programme with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), were assured of employment opportunities by NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa.
Opeifa described the graduation as a strong signal of the Corporation’s commitment to youth empowerment and technical capacity development, noting that the trainees have acquired practical, industry-relevant skills.
“Today, we celebrate 86 graduands who have successfully completed rigorous training across multiple technical disciplines”, he said.
The trainees were equipped in fields including electrical installation and maintenance, electronics engineering, welding and fabrication, refrigeration and air-conditioning, automobile mechanics, carpentry and joinery, ICT, fashion design, painting, and printing technology.
Opeifa highlighted the strategic importance of the RTI established in 1924 as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s technical manpower development, adding that the institute remains critical to supporting railway operations and broader industrial growth.
He further disclosed plans to reposition the institute into a modern, globally competitive centre of excellence through curriculum upgrades, infrastructure development, and strategic partnerships.
“We are aligning our programmes with global realities in railway technology, energy transition, and transport innovation”, he said.
In her remarks, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, Abiola Arogundade, represented by Abiola Isikalu, commended the NRC’s efforts, describing technical education as a key driver of youth employment under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, Ismaeel Ahmed, reaffirmed continued collaboration with the NRC to promote clean energy adoption and build technical capacity for emerging transport technologies.
“Our partnership will focus on advancing natural gas utilisation, reducing fuel costs, and supporting a cleaner environment”, he said.
The Vice Chancellor of Trinity University, Clement Kolawole, also expressed support for the initiative, noting the importance of academia-industry collaboration in manpower development.
Earlier, RTI Principal, Kelechi Nosike, described the event as a milestone, revealing that the graduands completed a three-year craft training programme designed to meet national development needs.
The ceremony featured the presentation of awards to outstanding students, with Fadayomi Olamide Andrew emerging as Best Graduating Student for the Class of 2024, while Taiwo Ayomide topped the Class of 2025.
The NRC said the initiative underscores its broader vision to strengthen technical education, enhance employability, and support Nigeria’s evolving transport and industrial ecosystem.