Lawmaker tasks varsities on training of railway engineers

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator ‘Gbenga Ashafa has called on faculties of engineering in Nigerian Universities to immediately commence the training of rail-infrastructure engineers. He made the call on Tuesday at the ground-breaking ceremony to mark the commencement of the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway system with an extension to […]

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator ‘Gbenga Ashafa has called on faculties of engineering in Nigerian Universities to immediately commence the training of rail-infrastructure engineers.

He made the call on Tuesday at the ground-breaking ceremony to mark the commencement of the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway system with an extension to the Lagos port complex, Apapa.

The railway project was commissioned by the acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).

Ashafa, who represents the Lagos East Senatorial District in the Senate noted that the training would prepare Nigerian engineers for the huge opportunities in railway with the increased attention on the sector.

He said, “it is imperative that the engineering departments of our universities maximise the gestation period of this project, to develop a syllabus on railway engineering for our undergraduates.

“This would adequately prepare our young engineers for the maintenance of the country’s railway infrastructure upon handing over by the expatriates who will handle the construction and also prepare them for jobs that would be available in the industry, in view of the potential of the project to create an estimated 250,000 jobs.”

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for keeping with its promise on infrastructural development, he noted that the groundbreaking "marks yet another milestone in the actualization of the commitment towards all round infrastructural development in Nigeria by the Buhari/Osinbajo administration, particularly in the rail sector.”

“I also commend the Honourable Minister of Transport, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi for making good his promise that the Lagos-Ibadan segment of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge would be flagged off this year."