By Daniel Tyokua
The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), has called for continuing professional development for all practitioners in the Sector.
President of COREN, Engr. Ali Rabiu, stated this during the 29th engineering assembly organised by the council in Abuja, yesterday.
He said the council was planning to institute continuing professional development (CPD) as a compulsory requirement for all practitioners applying for practice licence.
According to him, the initiative is an engineering context that is particularly aimed at ensuring the systematic improvement and broadening of knowledge, skill and development of personal qualities for execution of professional and technical duties throughout a practitioner’s working life.
Rabiu said, “It is significant for engineers especially our members to achieve knowledge and skills to keep abreast of the fast evolving technologies in the engineering industry and, broadening of competencies to other areas of relevance and interest in which could be serve as an impetus for career expansion.
“It is important to bear that at this juncture, that council will soon promulgate regulations on the introduction of CPD as part of the requirement for obtaining professional and firm practice licence,” he said.
Rabiu also said the council’s overall objective is to encourage the engineering faculties to adopt Out Based Education in Engineering (OBEE) system, saying that with the system, their graduates will be globally recognized engineers.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Mohammed Aliyu, said unprofessional or unethical engineers must be promptly sanctioned. The sanction, which he said, should be in accordance with the rule of law, according to him, is to prevent them from adversely affecting the national prosperity objectives.
He commended COREN for de-registering some engineers for unprofessional conducts, saying such sanctions should be regular to serve as deterrent to others.
“I learnt that some engineers were recently de-registered for the professional misconduct to serve as deterrent for others. I believe these sanctions need to be carried out regularly and it is necessary to avoid infrastructure failures. Engineer stands out as any deviation from absolute compliance to professional ethics or misconduct affects safety and security of lives.
The minister stated that COREN as the regulatory body has a critical role to play in this regard.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to towards advancing the frontiers of engineering practitioners in Nigeria is manifestly demonstrated in “Executive order No 5 (EO5)” by which all ministries, departments and agencies of government were directed to engage indigenous professionals in their planning.
He said the president’s commitment to infrastructure leaves no one in doubt about his desire to rapidly grow the Nigeria’s economy.
