FG expresses confidence in indigenous engineering practitioners -COREN President

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The federal government has expressed confidence in Indigenous Engineering Practitioners in Nigeria.
The President of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria Engr. Kashim A. Ali made the disclosure recently in Abuja .
Engr. Ali who recently assured that Mr President and the government that this trust will not be betrayed.
“you will recall my lamentation at the last Engineering Assembly ,that over the years indigenous engineering professional had played the
Second fiddle instead of being at the fore front of of our national development process. “with the promulgation of Executive order 5,a solution has been provided”.
He also acknowledge that the efforts of of the minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola for the approval of of two vital Regulations which are : the regulation of Licensing of Engineering Firms which provides a for the licensing of Engineering and the regulation of on the construction Industry including all construction and engineering works for the provision of infrastructure.
“ the two regulations will bring sanity to engineering practice and ensure that the Nigeria Practitioners play key roles in nation development”.
The COREN President who explained that over the years,observations of stakeholders have shown that some lacuna do exist in our Act thereby hindering optimal performance of COREN ,especially in the area of enforcement, prosecution of quacks and inadequate sanctions for offenders among others.
“this pray has also been answered as stakeholders including the minister of power, works and housing have come together to work with National Assembly for amendment of the subsisting Act, which has already been passed by the House of Representatives and is now awaiting the concurrence of the Senate. “.
Meanwhile, the COREN Boss also envisioned the strengthening of Engineering Regulation and Monitoring within the provisions of the COREN Act. “I am happy to report that COREN is now a member economy of the Federation. Of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP). The implication of this, is that Nigeria engineering qualification certified by COREN are now recognised in 48members economies including, Australia, Malaysia, Pakistan, China among others “.
“COREN has equally reached an advanced stage in its quest for a Provisional Signatory Status of the Washington Accord, a member of the International Engineering Alliance. It is for this reason that the Council was represented at the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) meeting held in London. We were also at the 2018 FEIAP General Assembly in Upon, Malaysia by right of membership “Engr. Ali maintained.