The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has announced that the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, will chair the 34th COREN Engineering Assembly, where stakeholders are expected to deliberate on measures to strengthen engineering regulation and enhance public safety across the country.
The three-day assembly, scheduled for July 13th to 15th at the Velodrome, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, will focus on the theme, “Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement, and a Tiered Sanctioning Regime.”
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, COREN President, Engr. Prof. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar, said the gathering would bring together government officials, regulators, industry leaders, academia and development partners to examine reforms aimed at improving engineering practice and reducing infrastructure failures.
He said the council was introducing a tiered sanctioning regime that would apply penalties based on the severity of professional misconduct, ranging from corrective measures and mandatory training to licence suspension, withdrawal and prosecution where necessary.
According to him, the initiative is intended to strengthen accountability, improve compliance with engineering standards and restore public confidence in the profession.
Abubakar expressed concern over recurring building collapses, industrial accidents, infrastructure failures and the activities of unqualified persons, describing them as threats to public safety and national development.
He noted that COREN was expanding its Engineering Regulation, Monitoring and Enforcement (ERME) framework through increased inspections, professional audits, investigations and closer collaboration with government agencies to ensure compliance with engineering laws and standards.
The COREN president also highlighted reforms implemented since the 33rd Engineering Assembly, including the enforcement of admission quotas for engineering programmes in universities, the reintroduction of the Engineering Residency Programme for graduates, expansion of digital licensing and verification services, strengthened enforcement activities, enhanced professional development and deeper collaboration with international engineering bodies.
He disclosed that the council had trained and certified hundreds of engineering programme evaluators, investigators and regulatory personnel while establishing sectoral committees to develop engineering codes and standards.
Abubakar, however, identified the activities of unregistered practitioners, weak compliance with engineering standards, inadequate resources for monitoring, poor maintenance culture and increasing technological complexities as some of the challenges confronting engineering regulation in Nigeria.
He reaffirmed COREN’s commitment to pursuing legislative reforms, deploying digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and data analytics, and strengthening partnerships with government, industry and professional bodies to improve engineering governance.
According to him, the assembly will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to develop practical recommendations for strengthening engineering regulation and promoting safer infrastructure nationwide.
