The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has signed an agreement with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to establish a Railway Training Centre aimed at developing the skilled workforce needed to support the expansion of Lagos State’s rail network.
The agreement comes as the Lagos State Government updates its Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP), expanding the rail component from the original six rail lines and one monorail to 11 rail lines and one monorail. The revised plan reflects the state’s growing transport needs and long-term vision of an integrated mass transit system.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, LAMATA Managing Director, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, said the training centre would play a key role in ensuring that the state’s expanding rail infrastructure is operated and maintained by highly skilled Nigerian professionals.
She said LAMATA had already made significant progress in local capacity development through the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue and Red Lines.
“Since we started the Blue and Red Line operations, we have trained more than 400 personnel, including train drivers, customer service representatives and operations staff,” she said. “On the Blue Line alone, we have achieved more than 90 per cent local staffing, with technical partners filling only the remaining gaps.”
Akinajo said the expansion of the Strategic Transport Master Plan highlighted the need for a structured and internationally certified railway training institution.
“The Strategic Transport Master Plan has now been updated to include 11 rail lines and one monorail. For a network of this scale to be sustainable, we need a properly certified training system covering signalling, maintenance, operations and customer service,” she said.
“Our goal is to ensure that the infrastructure we build is operated and maintained by Nigerians. This will guarantee the longevity of our transit systems, create meaningful employment opportunities for young people and contribute significantly to the growth of the Nigerian economy.”
She described the partnership with CCECC as a major investment in human capital that would equip Lagos with the technical expertise required to support its ambitious rail expansion programme.
The signing ceremony was attended by LAMATA’s Technical Adviser, Public Transport Rail, Olasunkanmi Okusaga; the Authority’s Head of Corporate Communication, Kolawole Ojelabi; other senior officials; and executives of CCECC.
Responding on behalf of the construction company, CCECC Vice President, Sun Xiangchun, thanked LAMATA for spearheading the initiative, describing vocational education as the foundation of industrial development.
He said the project aligns with the China–Africa Vocational Education Plan endorsed by the Presidents of China and Nigeria to strengthen technical education and support Africa’s industrialisation.
Xiangchun noted that, as the contractor responsible for delivering the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue and Red Lines, CCECC recognised that the expansion of Lagos’ rail network would require a new generation of highly trained professionals in railway operations, maintenance and management.
He said the proposed training centre would combine classroom instruction, simulation-based learning, practical training and professional skills assessment to produce world-class railway personnel.
“The establishment of a professional and integrated railway training centre is not only timely but essential for the sustainable development of Lagos’ rail transit system,” he said.
The Railway Training Centre is expected to become a key component of LAMATA’s long-term strategy to strengthen indigenous technical capacity, reduce reliance on foreign expertise and provide the skilled workforce required to support what is projected to become one of Africa’s largest urban rail networks.
