Dangote Articulated Truck Driving School has graduated 50 trainees who have gone through a specially designed and rigorous educational curriculum.
Articulated truck driving school in Obajana in Kogi State is the first and only accredited truck driving academy in Nigeria.
The school was commissioned last year by former Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Marshal Dr Boboye Olayemi Oyeyemi, who described it as an important step to address the menace of car accidents involving articulated trucks in Nigeria.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Divisional Director, Transport (DDT), Mr. Ajay Singh, said that the new Batch C graduates only qualified and passed the classroom instruction, and will be more visible in practice through attachment for an additional six months.
Mr. Singh said that the school will not only reduce the rate of accidents associated with articulated vehicles, but will also have a positive impact on other road users.
The director said the ultimate goal is to achieve zero accidents for all subsidiaries in the Dangote Group.
On his part, the Manager, Dangote Articulated Truck Driving School, Dangote Cement Transport (DCT) Obajana, Mr. Daniel Marcus Akuso, said the intensive training was conducted in collaboration with the FRSC and South Africa’s Fantique Driving Training Centre.
According to the school manager, the three-month training program has helped change the orientation of trainee drivers.
“This is the only articulated truck driving school in Nigeria where students are paid a stipend, trained, tested, certified, licensed and employed. Our products are not only for Dangote Cement but for all subsidiaries of the Dangote Group in Africa”, Mr. Akuso said.
Speaking, the Deputy Road Commandant, (OC Instructor) of the FRSC attached to the Dangote Driving School, Engr Mukhtar Umar, said the agency plays an important role in the training and certification of old drivers and newly recruited trainees.
“We teach them defensive driving, road signs, driver’s responsibility, driving culture, and then certify them”, said Engr Umar.
The Executive Secretary of the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) Professor Idris Bugaje has said that NBTE is partnering with Dangote Cement Plc in the execution of the school programme.