LAMATA Partners CCECC on Establishment of Railway Training Centre in Lagos

Sunday Ehigiator 

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has signed a three-year partnership with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to establish the LAMATA Railway Training Centre in Lagos.

At the signing ceremony which took place in Lagos, yesterday, themed ‘Building Talent, Driving the future,’ the Managing Director, LAMATA, Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, explained that the agreement is aimed at strengthening human capacity development in railway transportation and ensuring sustainability for the state’s railway infrastructure.

“This training agreement means a lot to LAMATA. We have been working with CCECC but we were looking for something that would be more grounded, focused and completely localised for us in Lagos. 

“We have five rail lines and one monorail system identified, but in the update of the strategic transfer master plan, we have added another five rail lines to that. So that means I am looking in the long term to implementing eleven rail lines in Lagos. 

“For us, that means that those 11 rail lines have to be sustainable. We need to be able to provide experts to design, to implement, and to operate those real lines and that means we need to begin to put the seat down for training,” she said.

She added that the training centre will also formalise skills with regards to rail transportation with certifications which can empower young people to work as professionals within and outside the shores of Nigeria. This, she said, will tackle the challenge of skills deficiency and unemployment.

On his part, the Vice President, CCECC, Sun Xiangchun, noted that vocational skills is the bedrock for industrialisation of any nation adding that while the vision has begun in Lagos, he is hopeful that it develops into a nationwide programme where trainees can become certified and recognised as professionals across the continent.

“Establishing a professional and integrated rail training centre is not only timely but essential to ensuring the sustainable development of Lagos’ urban transit system. This project is about more investment in people and in the future of Lagos. 

“We will fully leverage our integrated disciplines in railway construction, operation and talent development to deliver this project to the highest standards and based on CCECC’s experience and expertise, we propose to establish a national standard for professional rail transit system and in the future maybe try to give it open to west Africa,” he said. 

Head of Rail Operations, LAMATA, Joseph Akinpelu, explained that the training programme will offer on site training simulation, bridge the gap in unified standard and certification in the railway system with deployed Chinese and approved local trainers to unbundle world best practices in rail operations.