Some students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria who went to China in 2018 on a special programme at Central South University in Changsha (CSU), China have returned to Nigeria after completing their studies.
The students went to China in 2018 on a 3+2 joint double degree programme to study railway engineering.
According to the Ag Director Public Affairs of the university, Awwal Umar, the students returned on board an Air Peace flight which landed at 2:32 am at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
He added: “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 their studies in February this year before the lockdown arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and one could not cope due to health challenges.
“The remaining 20 students have already been retained by the Chinese University to begin a master’s degree on account of their outstanding performance,” he said.
On arrival, according to Umar, the students were received by the Director, Directorate of University Advancement, Professor Ahmed Doko Ibrahim; Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Professor Abubakar Ismail and the Ag Director Public Affairs, Awwal Umar.
It would be recalled that ABU and 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. It was facilitated by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and only outstanding 300 level students were selected.
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