COREN Seeks Signatory to Washington Accord for Smooth Mobility of Nigerian Engineers

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has disclosed that it was pushing to ensure that Nigerian engineers are able to ply their trade in any part of the world which are signatories to the Washington accord.

President and Chairman of Council of COREN, Mr. Ali Rabiu, in a statement in Abuja, explained that meetings were already being held to allow Nigerians practice in signatory countries.

The Washington Accord was first signed in 1989 and recognises that professional engineering education programmes accredited by the signatories deliver outcomes that are substantially equivalent to the Washington Accord Graduate Attributes.

“For now, also being pursued vigorously by COREN is the process of applying for Provisional Signatory Status of the Washington Accord (WA) under the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) seeking mobility for Nigerian engineers such that they can practice in signatory countries.

“In the course of this, COREN team had held series of meetings with Emeritus Prof. Elizabeth Taylor, Washington Accord Executive Committee Chair and her team and the Engineering Council of South Africa, ECSA.

“Equally, COREN has been effectively put on the engineering world map by ensuring its adequate visibility and participation in activities of World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), such as the World Engineering Summit of March, 2022 at Costa Rica.

“It also participated at the 30th Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) General Assembly, the 6th FEIAP Convention of July, 2022, which held in the Philippines and also the 8th Edition of African Engineering Week/6th African Engineering Conference in Ethiopia,” Rabiu noted.

Additionally, COREN stated that in championing mobility of Nigerian engineers within the African region, it recently hosted delegations from Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers and Ghana Institution of Engineers.

In compliance with the provisions of the Engineers, CAP E11 2004 Act as amended and in line with its commitment to the uplift of COREN as a formidable engineering regulatory organisation in Nigeria, the council stressed that it ensured the deployment of more effective strategies for guaranteeing best practice among the various professionals in engineering through the review of curricula.

The body explained that this is critical as Nigerian engineering programmes are transiting from the traditional input based to outcome-based education, with the aim of raising the competency level of the Nigerian engineering practitioners.

COREN noted that the successful investigation and reprimanding as well as prosecution of erring engineering practitioners as it relates to collapse of buildings and sundry offences associated with the built industry in Nigeria were also embarked upon in the outgoing year.

It highlighted the introduction of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points as part requirement for the procurement of practice licence as a quality control mechanism to ensure that only competent practitioners are issued with practice license, with effective implementation date from January, 2023.

“This is in pursuance of the COREN amended Act which has made practice licence compulsory for all engineering practitioners and firms.

“In order to ensure operational excellence in engineering, some critical indigenous engineering regulations, codes and standards have been developed, some of which have been recently gazetted to regulate engineering practice in Nigeria,” it pointed out.

Rabiu stressed that the organisation has also introduced the COREN Engineering Practitioners’ Code of Conduct, Regulations on Accreditation of Engineering Programmes in Nigeria, Regulations on Structural Engineering Practice in Nigeria as well as the Regulations for Establishment of Engineering Practitioners Examination Committee.

In addition, the COREN president said there are now regulations for marine engineering, naval architecture and marine surveying practice in Nigeria.

He explained that work has commenced on developing National Construction Safety Standards for Nigeria in the area of building/civil infrastructure, amongst others.

“The establishment of the Engineering Practitioners’ Examination Committee for the immediate implementation of a harmonised professional registration scheme that will be beneficial to all stakeholders in engineering.

“As a result of the incessant incidences of collapse of structures, particularly buildings in various parts of the country, posing serious safety and economic challenges to the populace, COREN called presidents and registrars of some regulatory and professional bodies in the built environment together to a crucial meeting of the professionals in the built environment to proffer sustainable and efficient solutions to the ugly menace,” the statement added.

It also listed the establishment of Engineering Accreditation Committee to among other terms of reference, implement COREN accreditation policy and formulate guidelines and procedures for accreditation and the launch of new engineering programmes as part of the council’s achievements.

“COREN is implementing the Engineering Regulations Monitoring Programme by establishing State Technical Committees and State Expatriate Monitoring Committees in all the States of the Federation. At present, 20 have been inaugurated. The most recent ones were in Abeokuta, Ogun and Lagos States last week respectively,” Rabiu stressed.