Does it sound cool for a Chinese boy to become an African chief? Kong Tao, 34, was born in the family of an ordinary public official in Qingfeng County, Puyang City. After graduating from Beijing Jiaotong University in 2010, Kong Tao applied for a job in China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd. and was sent to Nigeria in the same year. Since then, he has made an indissoluble bond with Africa. In order to thank Kong Tao for his contribution, on April 21, local time, the Tuhuang of Abuja Jiwa, the capital of Nigeria, granted Kong Tao the title of "wakilin ayyuka". The ceremonial officer dressed Kong Tao in chief clothes. The Tuhuang personally granted Kong Tao the certificate and Scepter symbolizing the chief's power, hoping that he could continue to be a good bridge between the Chinese and Nigerian people.
Integration into Africa
Puyang boys become 'Nigeria link'
Kong Tao, 34, was born in the family of an ordinary public official in Qingfeng County, Puyang City. Before 2010, Kong Tao's impression of Africa as far away was that it was vast grassland, hot weather, various animals and black people all over the street. He never thought of working there.
After graduating from Beijing Jiaotong University in 2010, Kong Tao applied to China Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd. In December of the same year, due to the need of work, Kong Tao was sent to Nigeria to work. Since then, he has made an indissoluble bond with Africa.
In the face of a strange environment, Kong Tao was a little uncomfortable. There are some differences with the local people in terms of language communication, living habits, temperaments and ways of doing things. Once, the subgrade project in which Kong Tao participated needed to find a borrow area. After digging and sampling, the experimenter found that the soil samples in hulumi village met the test indexes, so he wanted to build a borrow site there. This was originally for the benefit of the village, but it was opposed by the villagers of hulumi village. They said that the land given to them by the chief was used for farming, and the consent of the chief must be obtained for the construction of the borrow area. Kong Tao had to go to the chief, and after a lot of persuasion, he succeeded.
In the face of many maladjustments, Kong Tao was not discouraged, but actively tried to integrate into the local culture. He made great efforts to learn Hausa language, understood local history, culture, religious belief, national character, etc., and consciously respected, recognized and accepted local culture and customs. Over time, Kong Tao not only learned the local language, but also became a "Nigerian" and established trust and friendship with the local people, which provided great convenience for his work. The college students who have just joined the work are seriously lack of practical experience, so Kong Tao needs to keep learning in practice. However, unlike China, Nigeria is full of design talents in design institutes, where many things need to be done by oneself. For this reason, Kong Tao worked overtime every day. Every major involved in railway construction should be studied and mastered as much as possible, so as to force oneself to become a "miscellany". As a result, he soon became the backbone of the company's projects in Nigeria, laying a solid foundation for his further promotion.
Dedicated to Africa
Africa writes wonderful Chinese stories
When he first arrived in Nigeria, Kong Tao was just an assistant engineer. He participated in the Abuja City railway project and was responsible for the four power projects of Abuja City railway and the operation of Nigerian market railway. He not only plays the main role in the project construction, but also makes great contributions in coordinating local relations, training and managing local staff.
After the construction of akar railway in 2013, Kong Tao was appointed as the manager of the fourth power department of the company, responsible for the fourth power project of akar railway. With a total length of 186.5 km, akar railway is a key railway project undertaken by Chinese enterprises. At that time, railway projects in African countries, including Nigeria, used European standards. Kong Tao and his colleagues made great efforts to promote the use of Chinese standards. As a result, the akar railway became the first railway in Africa to use Chinese standards. In 2016, the akar railway was officially put into operation, and Kong Tao took over as the project manager of Abuja City railway. In July 2018, the company integrated the resources of Akha railway, Abuja City railway and operation Department, and established the operation division, which is responsible for the railway operation and rolling stock procurement of the whole unit in Nigeria. Kong Tao became the general manager.
The minimum wage in Nigeria is only 600 yuan per month. If you can work in a Chinese company, the wage will be much higher. Therefore, local people hope that Chinese projects will employ more local villagers. Kong Tao fully respects the wishes of local people. If local people can be employed in the project construction, local people should be employed as much as possible. He also vigorously trained local workers, selected excellent local people to enter the management level, mobilized the enthusiasm of local people, and won the recognition of local people. The construction of Abuja City railway and aka railway project not only improves the local traffic conditions, but also solves tens of thousands of jobs for local people, promotes economic development, promotes employment and improves living standards. At the high-level dialogue between the leaders of China, Africa and the industrial and commercial circles and the Sixth China Africa entrepreneurs dialogue held in September 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Buhari of Nigeria gave high comments. What is valuable is that Kong Tao is the only Chinese who has participated in the construction and operation of the two projects in the whole process, and he is the one who truly realizes the integration of railway construction and operation in Nigeria.
After his busy work, Kong Tao spent a lot of time doing good things for the local people. There is a public primary school in paipei village near the project department, and the school buildings are crumbling. Kong Tao led people to build three new school buildings. Since then, paipei village primary school has become Kong Tao's designated school. He and his colleagues often go to the school to carry out love activities, and the local people gratefully call him 'principal Kong'. At his own expense, he built a road connecting to the Muslim Mecca pilgrimage junction camp and an access road to the central waste disposal site in gousa. He also built a simple football field for the children in karamaggi village.
Kong Tao has done a lot of similar things in the past nine years. Far away in Africa, together with his colleagues, he left many touching Chinese stories.
Moving Africa
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The local people also see what Kong Tao is in Nigeria and are moved by it. They express their gratitude to him with the unique enthusiasm of Africans. Every time Kong Tao sent Peipei village primary school to do activities, the school authorities cooperated with him and regarded him as the guest of honor. Walking in the village streets, people often take the initiative to say hello to him. The enthusiastic Nigerian girls sometimes call Kong Tao 'Chinese handsome'. In daily work, there is a need to communicate with local government departments. As long as Kong Tao goes, the staff are more cooperative.
What can best reflect Kong Tao's position in the local people's mind is that he became a chief. In order to thank Kong Tao for his contribution to Nigeria, on the afternoon of April 21, local time, the Tuhuang of Abuja Jiwa, the capital of Nigeria, awarded him the title of "wakilin ayyuka", which means project leader. The ceremonial officer dressed Kong Tao in the chief's clothes, and the Tuhuang Musa of Jiwa region personally granted him the certificate and Scepter symbolizing the chief's power, hoping that Kong Tao would continue to be a good bridge between the Chinese and Nigerian people.
It is meaningful that one day the second "one belt, one road" Summit for international cooperation will be held in Beijing. Kong Tao said: 'in Nigeria, foreigners can only be granted the title of chief if they make outstanding contributions to the local economic or social development and the improvement of people's lives. I'm very proud to be granted the title of chief! "
Join hands with Africa
We are willing to share our destiny with the African people
Kong Tao said that he is not the only Chinese who has become tribal chief in Nigeria, which also shows the Nigerian people's friendship to the Chinese people and the profound friendship between China and Africa.
When Kong Tao first went to Nigeria in 2010, there were not too many Chinese there, and most Nigerians did not know much about Chinese. However, one belt, one road, was hitherto unknown in 2013. With the help of the Chinese people, many projects, especially major projects, have been implemented, and the development of Nigeria is changing with each passing day. Accompanied by this, Nigerians have a deeper understanding of the Chinese people and a more friendly attitude towards them. "One belt, one road, no &lsquo, no implementation of such projects, Nigerians can't respect us so much, this is the Chinese force I feel in Africa," Kong Tao said. "&rsquo is a great force for China."
As a Chinese working in Africa, Kong Tao always pays attention to the trend of China Africa relations. China's president full of Xi Jinping's "keynote speech on the theme of" sharing the destiny and concentrates on development "was held in September 3, 2018 at the Forum on China Africa Cooperation held in the Great Hall of the people of Beijing. It put forward a closer Sino African fate community, which made Kong Tao and colleagues in Africa full of excitement. President Xi's speech really touched the hearts of the Chinese working in Africa and the Africans. Working in Africa for many years, I really feel that it is the common aspiration of the Chinese and African people to work together for common destiny and common development. Kong Tao said that he must pass on sincere Chinese friendship to the African people with his own practical actions.
'one belt, one road' provides a platform for talents to play for Kong Tao's "Africa Tong", and to create closer Sino African fate community, it is a firm confidence that Kong Tao will continue to work in Africa. He said: 'nine years in Africa, step by step, bit by bit, into the local, has been a closely linked community of destiny. Good man is ambitious. I am willing to stay in Africa and work with African people to create a better life. '