Ahmadu Bello University Students On Degree Program In Railway Engineering In China Returns

Students from Ahmadu Bello University flown to China in 2018 on 3+2 joint double degree programme to study railway engineering at Central South University in Changsha (CSU) have returned to Nigeria after successful completion of studies.

They were brought back today (yesterday) on board Air Peace, which landed at 2:32am at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja in strict compliance with the COVID- 19 protocol.

The students numbering 20 were among the first set of 45 students taken to China for the programme on Civil Engineering, Traffic and Transportation Engineering as well as Traffic Equipment and Control Engineering. 

Four students had earlier returned upon conclusion of the studies in February this year before the lockdown arising from the Covid – 19 pandemic; and one could not cope up due to health challenge. The remaining 20 students have already been retained by the Chinese University to begin master’s degree on account of their outstanding performance. 

On arrival, they were received by the Director, Directorate of University Advancement, Prof Ahmed Doko Ibrahim; Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof Abubakar Ismail; and Ag Director, Public Affairs Directorate, Malam Auwalu Umar.

All the students, who looked hale and hearty, expressed immense gratitude to Ahmadu Bello University and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the programme which is believed to be the first of its kind in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that Ahmadu Bello University and Central South University (CSU), Changsha, China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly run the programme in order to produce sufficient indigenous engineers and academics who would continue to build and sustain railway infrastructure in Nigeria and beyond.

The programme, according to the MoU, is to last for a period of five consecutive years, and it was facilitated by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, a mega international construction firm. 

Beneficiaries of the programme are mainly 300-Level engineering students with higher CGPA after a rigorous selection interview who would go to the Central South University to complete the remaining two years to earn dual degrees of China and Nigeria in civil engineering, traffic & transportation engineering and traffic equipment & control engineering respectively.

The second batch of 300- Level engineering students from the University had left Nigeria for Central South University (CSU), Changsha, China. The students, comprising 29 undergraduate and four doctoral students all drawn from Department of Civil Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, were flown to China on Monday, 16th September, 2019 for the programme.