In its bid to improve on the performance of regulating engineering education, training and practice, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has appealed to the federal government to reconsider its decision and return the Council into funding regime.
The president of COREN, Prof. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar made the appeal yesterday at a press briefing organised to mark the occasion of the 32nd COREN Engineering Assembly scheduled to hold on the 5th-7th of August, 2024 at the ThisDay Dome in Abuja.
Abubakar said funding is necessary in order to ensure that engineering practitioners are well trained in line with the global standards, adding, that will safeguard lives and properties of the citizens as well as ensure the prevention of failures in engineering infrastructure.
While responding to the goals of the current FGN Administration, he said his Council has approved the resuscitation of Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE) under a new name of Engineering Residency Programme (EREP) and planned to engage the National Assembly to seek legislative backing for its funding by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in line with the existing law.
He added that it is a one-year post-graduation training programme for all engineering graduates of an accredited university or polytechnic, designed to meet practical experience requirements for the purpose of registration with COREN as professional engineer or an engineering technologist similar to the practices of Medical, Pharmaceutical, professions.
In response to the call on COREN to rise to the occasion to check the incessant failures of engineering infrastructure, specially building collapse across the country, Abubakar said the Minister of works, Engr. David Umahi would inaugurate a National Technical Committee to drive the ERME at national level similar to the existing practice at regional and state levels. Adding that the ERME inspectors are to be supported by Engineering Intelligence & Surveillance (EIS) Task Force and EIS Whistle Blowers operating at national, regional and state levels.
“It is also pertinent to inform you that COREN is ever ready to improve its performance in regulating engineering education, training of practitioners and ensure that their practices are in line with the global standards to safeguard lives and properties of the citizenry as well as ensure the prevention of the failures engineering infrastructure.”
“Thus, the Council is appealing to the FGN to continue to fund COREN similar to its peers in the health sector. It is our hope and prayer that the FGN would reconsider its position to return the Council into the funding regime for the benefit of the citizenry and the nation”, he appealed.
