Chinese Government provides RMB 180 million grant for Phase 1 of the Eritrean Institute of Science and Technology (EIT) Construction Project

Project narrative

In December 2014, the Chinese Government agreed to provide an RMB 180 million grant to the Government of Eritrea for the Phase 1 of the Eritrean Institute of Science and Technology (EIT) Construction Project. This project involved the construction of a College of Science at the Eritrean Institute of Technology (EIT), which is located near the town of Himbrti in Mai Nefhi (12 km southwest of Asmara, near the Mai Nefhi dam). The College of Science occupies an area of 18,453 square meters and it has a library (3 floors), two lecture halls and classrooms (both two floors), one administration and teacher building (four floors), three laboratories (lab 1 and lab 2 with 3 floors while lab 3 with 2 floors), and one equipment room (1 floor). It was designed to can accommodate up to 6,000 students. China Civil Engineering Construction Cooperation (CCECC) was the contractor responsible for implementation. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 10, 2014. However, construction did not begin until December 3, 2014. Construction ended on May 14, 2017 and the project was formally handed over to the Eritrean authorities on July 27, 2017. The handover ceremony was attended by Mr. Semere Russom, Minister of Education; Mr. Yang Zigang, the PRC Ambassador to Eritrea; Prof. Gebrehiwet Medhanie, Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Eritrean Institute of Technology; and Mr. Yuan Li, the Chairman of the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.