During a visit to the headquarters of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) in Beijing, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to advancing its infrastructure development. This was communicated through a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale.
President Tinubu acknowledged CRCC as a reliable partner in Nigeria’s ongoing infrastructure initiatives, particularly commending the company’s contributions to the country’s railway projects. He assured that the Ibadan-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano railway segments would be completed to the satisfaction of Nigeria and West Africa as a whole. He emphasized the importance of delivering on these projects to meet the expectations of local communities across Nigeria.
Additionally, President Tinubu expressed support for CRCC’s potential investments in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and other ventures, signaling Nigeria’s readiness to engage in further business with the company. In response, Mr. Dai Hegen, Chairman of CRCC, highlighted the company’s long-standing involvement in Nigeria, which spans 43 years. Over this period, CRCC has successfully executed more than 300 projects and trained over 100,000 local workers. Hegen noted the impact of these projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna Railway and Lagos-Ibadan Railway, which have collectively transported around 9 million passengers and 180 tonnes of cargo. He also mentioned that the Lagos Blue Line had served over 1.6 million passengers.
In a separate engagement, President Tinubu visited the Beijing Research Centre of Huawei Technologies, where the company announced the launch of its DigiTruck initiative. This mobile ICT classroom aims to enhance digital literacy in underserved Nigerian communities. During the meeting, Mr. Liang Hua, Chairman of Huawei’s Board of Directors, shared that the DigiTruck would operate in 10 Nigerian states each year, with a goal of training at least 3,000 students annually.
President Tinubu was briefed on the ongoing efforts by Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to train 3 million technical talents (3MTT). Hua emphasized that this programme aims to equip Nigeria’s youth with the skills needed for both current and future economic opportunities. He praised President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for recognizing digital technology as a key driver of economic growth.
Hua reiterated Huawei’s commitment to partnering with the Nigerian government to achieve its policy objectives, particularly in advancing digital, intelligent, and low-carbon development. Additionally, Mr. Chris Lu, CEO of Huawei Nigeria, expressed the company’s support for Nigeria’s National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), which seeks to position the country as a leading hub for talent outsourcing in Africa. Lu noted plans to expand the Network Operations Centre (NOC) to better serve the requirements of more African markets, thereby enabling more Nigerian technology professionals to contribute to international markets and advancing the goals of NATEP.
During the visit, President Tinubu and his delegation were introduced to Huawei’s latest innovations in various fields, including e-government, smart education, smart grid, and solar power. These technologies have the potential to significantly enhance public services, digital governance, and Nigeria’s broader development goals. Huawei also announced plans to establish a joint photovoltaic (PV) test lab with Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to further support the country’s energy initiatives.
