President Muhammadu Buhari has officially commissioned the Kajola Wagon Assembly Plant in Ogun State as part of the government’s commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the ongoing railway modernization project.

The facility, the first of its kind in West Africa, has the capacity to produce 500 wagons annually, including open wagons, container flat wagons, and box wagons.

Out of the 368 wagons required for the project, approximately 220 wagons will be produced at the assembly plant, marking a significant step towards transforming it into a full-fledged wagon manufacturing facility.

The establishment of the plant is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) Nigeria Limited, as part of the Lagos-Ibadan Railway modernization project.

ALSO READ: Benue state governor forgives president Buhari and advocates for unity and progress

President Buhari, represented by the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, stated that the assembly plant aligns with the government’s commitment to infrastructure development and technology transfer to Nigeria.

The plant will also serve as a strategic resource for replacing faulty wagons, reducing the need for importing them from overseas.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, expressed his excitement about the plant, emphasizing its role in enhancing local capacity for wagon production and maintenance.

Jacques Liao, Deputy Managing Director of CCECC Nigeria Limited, highlighted the plant’s contribution to railway technology development and job creation, both directly and indirectly.