By ANGELA ATABO

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has announced a new strategic regulatory framework aimed at improving public safety, strengthening enforcement and tackling unqualified engineering practice.

COREN President, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, disclosed this at a news conference ahead of the 34th COREN Engineering Assembly, scheduled to hold from July 13 to 15 in Abuja.

Abubakar said the Assembly themed “Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement, and a Tiered Sanctioning Regime,” remained the foremost policy and professional gathering of engineers to address national issues.

He said engineering remained central to Nigeria’s economic transformation, noting that the profession played a critical role in all sectors.

He, however, said the growing complexity of infrastructure projects, technological advancement, urbanisation and climate-related challenges required stronger engineering governance and strict compliance with professional standards.

He expressed concerns over recurring incidents of infrastructure failures, building collapses, industrial accidents and the activities of unqualified persons practising engineering.

He emphasised that such occurrences undermine public confidence and threaten lives and investments.

“Every engineering failure is first a failure of compliance before it becomes a failure of infrastructure. Preventing such failures must therefore remain our collective priority,” he said.

He explained that the theme of the 34th Assembly reflected COREN’s commitment to moving beyond traditional registration and licensing functions towards proactive regulation, risk-based monitoring, continuous professional development and evidence-based enforcement.

“Recognising this responsibility, COREN is championing a new regulatory philosophy anchored on strategic engineering regulation.

“It seeks to anticipate risks, prevent failures and strengthen compliance before deficiencies escalate into accidents or disasters.

“A major pillar of this strategy is the strengthening of Engineering Regulation, Monitoring and Enforcement (ERME).”

The COREN president disclosed that the council was repositioning its inspection and monitoring systems to ensure greater compliance with engineering laws, regulations, codes and standards throughout the life cycle of engineering projects.

He said that regular inspections, professional audits and systematic monitoring would be indispensable in identifying unsafe practices, ensuring adherence to approved engineering procedures and promoting quality assurance across all sectors of the economy.

He said the council was introducing a tiered sanctioning regime to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in addressing professional misconduct.

He explained that sanctions would be based on the severity of offences and could range from corrective measures and mandatory professional development to licence suspension, withdrawal and prosecution where necessary.

“The objective is not merely to punish, but to deter misconduct, encourage compliance and strengthen public confidence in the engineering profession,” he said.

He added that COREN was pursuing reforms to strengthen the Engineering Act and improve its regulatory powers, while also accelerating digital transformation through technology-driven monitoring and compliance systems.

Abubakar announced that the 34th Assembly would feature major stakeholders, adding that the keynote address would be delivered by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, who is the first engineer to occupy the position.

He also announced the reactivation of the COREN disciplinary tribunal, which would handle cases involving professional misconduct among registered practitioners.

He urged members of the public to report unqualified persons engaging in engineering practice, saying public participation was essential to protecting lives and property.

The COREN Vice President, Olaolu Ogunduyile, appealed to the media and members of the public to support the council’s campaign against quackery and unsafe engineering practices by acting as whistleblowers reporting illegal engineering activities.

He also highlighted efforts to promote local content development, revealing that Nigeria was making progress in establishing local manufacturing capacity, including a transformer manufacturing facility expected to be inaugurated in Lagos.

The COREN Registrar, Prof. Uche Okorie, said the council had decided to intensify public awareness because engineering regulation was ultimately about protecting lives.

Okorie urged Nigerians to see public safety as a collective responsibility, stressing that effective regulation required collaboration among government agencies, universities, industry stakeholders, professional bodies and the public.

Okorie acknowledged funding challenges as one of the major obstacles limiting nationwide regulatory coverage, particularly efforts to extend engineering monitoring to all 774 local governments.

He assured that COREN would continue to strengthen partnerships and enforcement mechanisms to ensure safer infrastructure and improved professional standards. (NAN)

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