By Daniel Tyokua
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) said it has registered 506 engineering personnel and 622 engineering technologists in 2020.
President of the Council, Engr Ali Rabiu disclosed this while briefing journalists on activities of COREN in the outgoing year.
He said, “509 engineering personnel, made up of 3796 engineers, 622 engineering technologists, 29 technicians, and 52 craftsmen, you know, the engineering profession is a family made up of four cadres, engineers, technologists, technicians, and craftsmen.”
He declared that 2018 amended Act gives powers to the Council to investigate not only licensed engineers but also non-engineers who engage in engineering business causing failures of engineering infrastructures.
Rabiu told members of Properties Correspondents in Abuja, that investigations show that most building collapses across the country have been found to be handiworks of quackery.
“The 2018 amended Act has given us enormous powers I must confess. We have the powers to investigate not only those we have licensed but also non-engineers who engage in engineering business to cause failures of engineering infrastructures.
COREN boss however noted that such investigations take a lot of time for determine one’s involvement, adding that the Council has concluded six investigations while two are still outstanding for the year.
According to him, during the year, Council carried out some aspects of its core mandates one of which is the registration of engineering personnel and firms, and accreditation of engineering programmes in Nigerian universities and Polytechnics.
“We visited 11 universities to do accreditation in their engineering faculties. We accredited 44 programmes and all the programmes were approved.”
The President also noted that paramount among the projects of the Council in the year, was the development of the permanent site at Jabi area of the FCT, which was initially started under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
According to him, the current leadership of the Council had earlier jettisoned the PPP arrangement and source funds through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and budgetary allocations to carry out the project.
“We have set up a committee of Council to review the designs and I can tell you that the review of the design is ongoing. We hope to commence the project proper in the year 2021.”
He said the Council also have some ongoing capital projects across the country. We are building state offices in Benin, Nasarawa state, Katsina state, which started this year.
Rabiu explained that COREN is currently entering into MoUs with critical stakeholders aimed at strengthening the Council’s professional proficiency.
He said that in line with the Outcome Based Education (OBE) which COREN instituted recently, the Council at the just concluded National Council of Works in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, the Council approved the placement of engineering students in all federal contracts.
