Chinese construction giant to boost manpower development in Africa

ABUJA - Chinese construction and engineering firm China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) on Tuesday vowed to boost its manpower development drive in Africa.

Lyu Zexiang, president of CGGC International, said at the unveiling of the company's newly established headquarters for its operations in North and West Africa, that one of the purposes of building the regional office was to enhance employment opportunities for Africans.

Located in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, the CGGC north-west regional headquarters will coordinate its operations in 28 African countries.

"The headquarters shall ... do a good job of integration and social responsibility practice, share the fruits of development and build a good environment among all the north and west African countries," Lyu said while addressing the audience, including top government officials of Nigeria.

The Chinese company, which built the Three Gorges Dam, has been keen on expanding its overseas market, primarily engaging in the contract construction of dams, power plants, bridges and roads, among others.

Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Nigeria's Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, said the location of CGGC's headquarters in Abuja symbolized the collaborative strength and synergy of China and Nigeria, and by extension, the whole of Africa.

Noting that the Chinese firm had well executed a good number of projects in Nigeria, Shehuri said the Nigerian government will continue to support CGGC to create a better future in the social economy of north and west regions of Africa.