President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to position Nigeria’s transport sector as a cornerstone of national development, pledging deeper investment in training and human capacity.
Speaking through the Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, at the second matriculation ceremony of the Federal University of Transportation, Daura (FUTD), Tinubu said the government is committed to producing a new generation of transportation professionals capable of transforming the industry.
In a statement released by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Jibril Alkali, the President commended the progress made by FUTD since its establishment, describing the institution as strategic to Nigeria’s goal of developing world-class expertise in transportation, with particular emphasis on the nation’s expanding railway network.
“As this institution matriculates 529 new students for the 2024/2025 academic session, we mark another milestone in our journey to make the transport sector the pride of Nigeria’s economy,” Tinubu said. “FUTD will address the pressing need for transport-focused education, research, and training. Our aspiration is to produce graduates of the highest quality who can compete favorably anywhere in the world.”
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The President urged the new students to take advantage of the opportunity, noting that FUTD remains the only specialised university of its kind in Africa. “You should consider yourselves privileged and commit to becoming the pride of your families, your university, and your country,” he said.
Vice Chancellor of FUTD, Professor Umar Katsayal, explained that the university was established to safeguard and sustain the massive infrastructure investments made by the federal and state governments in the transport sector. He added that the institution is equally designed to close Nigeria’s human capacity gap in transportation, with a strong focus on education, training, and applied research.
According to Katsayal, FUTD has benefited from support by CCECC Nigeria Limited — the Chinese construction firm behind the Lagos–Kano Railway Modernisation Project — which contributed to its development as part of its corporate social responsibility.