YABATECH, CIG Partnership Expands as 25 Students Shine in China, Win ₦3m in Scholarships

Funmi Ogundare

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has partnered with Choice International Group (CIG)  as part of a broader China-Africa cooperation initiative, with the sponsorship of 25 engineering students who have secured ₦3 million in academic scholarships.

The students are currently studying at Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College (HVTC), China, under the Silk Road College initiative. These students, according to the institution’s management, have demonstrated academic excellence; 20 of them attaining grade points between 4.3 and 4.5, alongside fluency in the Chinese Language and cultural skills such as Kung Fu and Tai Chi.

One of the students won a bronze medal at the China International College students innovation competition while five others received additional scholarships worth two million naira. Another also received ₦1 million for outstanding academic performance while their group leader was awarded CIG Motors Ambassadorial status for leadership excellence.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the college, recently, Chief Diana Ajoke Chen, Chairman and Group Executive Officer of CIG, disclosed that her organisation will start employing 200 YABATECH graduates annually, starting this year.

Chief Chen, who is also Vice Chairman of the China-Africa Business Council, also announced a new scholarship plan for 30 additional students, who will be sent to China for exchange programmes once the current batch returns in November.

In his remarks, the Rector of the college, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, explained that the partnership forms part of the broader China-Africa cooperation framework which focused on 9 key projects around capacity building, humanistic exchange, vocational education, and mutual talent development.

He called for deeper collaboration by proposing the establishment of industry-based laboratories at the college; mirroring those in China to produce industry-ready graduates and bridge the gap between academia and the private sector.

“We are ready to provide space, laboratories, and workshops not just for our students but also for external trainees. These can also be run as business centers for income generation,” he stated.

During the visit, two students from the School of Art, Design and Printing were given automatic employment by GAC Motors after impressively sketching a live portrait of Chief Chen and her colleague during the meeting.