The Nigerian Railway Corporation, in collaboration with the National Directorate of Employment, has graduated 86 technicians under its technical and vocational training programme.
This development is targeted at reinforcing efforts to boost youth employment and technical capacity in Nigeria.
The Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, disclosed that 86 students graduated at the institute’s 28th convocation ceremony on Tuesday, describing the event as a major milestone for the organisation and Nigeria’s broader workforce development drive.
Opeifa said, “It is with great delight and a profound sense of responsibility that I welcome you all to this historic occasion. Today is yet another milestone as we celebrate the successful graduation of 86 trainees.”
The ceremony drew families, instructors and stakeholders who gathered to witness what they described as a turning point in the lives of the young men and women now equipped with practical skills for self-reliance.
Opeifa added, “This ceremony is not merely a graduation event. It is a demonstration of our institutional commitment to youth empowerment, workforce development, and nation-building through technical education and vocational excellence.”
According to Opeifa, established in 1924, the Railway Technical Institute has played a longstanding role in Nigeria’s technical manpower development, initially focusing on railway maintenance before expanding into broader vocational training.
The NRC MD explained that, over the decades, the institute has evolved into a centre for entrepreneurial and technical excellence, offering young Nigerians opportunities to gain employable skills across multiple disciplines.
Through its partnership with the NDE, Opeifa said thousands of youths have been trained in areas such as electrical installation, welding and fabrication, refrigeration, ICT and automobile mechanics.
He added that the latest cohort of 86 graduands completed intensive training guided by a “learning by doing” philosophy, combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on practical experience tailored to industry needs.
Opeifa stated that the NRC is undergoing strategic transformation in line with the Federal Government’s transportation modernisation agenda, with human capital development at its core.
“No railway system can function optimally without a steady pipeline of technically competent manpower,” he said.
He disclosed plans to upgrade the Institute to offer National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes, alongside modernising its curriculum to reflect global advancements in railway technology and energy systems.
To the graduands, Opeifa offered a charge, saying, “Today is not the conclusion of your journey, but the commencement of greater responsibilities. You are leaving not just with certificates, but with skills that can create opportunities and add value to the economy.”
Speaking earlier, the principal of the college, Kelechi Nosike, urged the management of the NRC to address longstanding staffing concerns and support the institution’s growth.
Nosike further stressed the need to strengthen the college’s technical capacity by retaining top-performing graduates, noting that doing so would help bridge existing manpower gaps in the workshops and sustain the institution’s training standards.
She said, “I am using this opportunity to appeal to the management of NRC to consider giving employment to some of our part-time teachers who have been working with us for decades without being made staff. These staff members have put in their all to support the growth of the school and the training of the student.
“Also, I am appealing to the management to consider absorbing some of the best among today’s graduands to fill the gap in the workshop.”
She, however, commended the leadership role of the corporation, particularly its Managing Director, saying, “Once again I thank our Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Kayode Opeifa for his immense vision to renovate and upgrade the school to a higher institution of learning. Mr Chairman, special guest of honour, other distinguished members of the high table, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you once again to this occasion. May you remain blessed as you enjoy the programme.”
