By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Council for the regulation of engineering in Nigeria says in line with its statutory role, mandate, and commitment to the uplift of COREN to a formidable Engineering Regulatory Organisation in Nigeria capable of policing the built at best, it has development some policies and strategies towards repositioning itself and the sector.
A statement issued Thursday which was signed by the president of the council, Engr Ali A. Rabiu, highlighted the various steps being taken by COREN towards achieving this. They include:
“Deployment of more effective strategies for guaranteeing best practice among the various professionals in Engineering through the review of curricula as Nigerian Engineering Programmes are transiting from the traditional input based to outcome-based education (OBE) with the aim of raising the competency level of the Nigerian Engineering practitioners; successful investigation and/or reprimanding /prosecution of erring Engineering practitioners as it relates to collapse of Buildings and sundry offences associated with the Built Industry in Nigeria; introduction of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points as part requirement for the procurement of practice licence a quality control mechanism to ensure that only competent practitioners are issued with practice license, with effective implementation date from January, 2023, which, according to COREN is in pursuance of the COREN amended Act which has made practice license compulsory for all engineering practitioners and Firms.”
The statement also said in order to ensure operational excellence in engineering, some critical indigenous engineering regulations, codes and standards have been developed, some of which have been recently gazetted to regulate engineering practice in Nigeria, which include: COREN Engineering Practitioners’ Code of Conduct; Regulations on Accreditation of Engineering Programmes in Nigeria;
Regulations on Structural Engineering Practice in Nigeria; Regulations for Establishment of Engineering Practitioners Examination Committee; Regulations for Marine Engineering, Naval Architecture and Marine Surveying Practice in Nigeria.
According to COREN, work had commenced on developing National Construction Safety Standards for Nigeria in the area of Building/Civil Infrastructure, amongst others.
Other steps taken include the establishment of the Engineering Practitioners’ Examination Committee for the immediate implementation of a harmonised professional registration scheme that will be beneficial to all stakeholders in engineering; the establishment of Engineering Accreditation Committee to among other terms of reference, implement COREN accreditation policy and formulate guidelines and procedures for accreditation and the launch of new engineering programmes.
COREN which listed 11 points in this regard also revealed that as a result of the incessant incidences of collapse of structures, particularly buildings in various parts of the country that is posing serious safety and economic challenges to the populace, COREN called presidents and registrars of some Regulatory and Professional bodies in the built environment together to a crucial meeting of the professionals in the built environment to proffer sustainable and efficient solutions to the ugly menace.
“COREN is implementing the Engineering Regulations Monitoring Programme by establishing State Technical Committees and State Expatriate Monitoring Committees in all the States of the Federation. At present, 20 have been inaugurated. The most recent ones were in Abeokuta, Ogun and Lagos States last week respectively,” the statement reads further.
“For now also being pursued vigorously by COREN is the process of applying for Provisional Signatory Status of the Washington Accord (WA) under the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) seeking mobility for Nigerian Engineers such that they can practice in signatory countries. In the course of this, COREN team had held series of meetings with Em Prof Elizabeth Taylor AO. Washington Accord Executive Committee Chair and her team and the Engineering Council of South Africa, ECSA.
“Equally, COREN has been effectively put on the engineering World Map by ensuring its adequate visibility and participation in activities of World Federation of Engineering Organisations, such as the World Engineering Summit of March, 2022 at Costa Rica, that of the 30th Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) General Assembly, the 6th FEIAP Convention of July, 2022, which held in the Philippines and also the 8th Edition of African Engineering Week/6th African Engineering Conference in Ethopia.
“Additionally, in championing mobility of Nigerian Engineers within the African Region, COREN recently hosted delegations from both Sierra Leone and Ghana Institutions of Engineers.