The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN)

  • Obaseki partners COREN to check inflated road contracts

    Obaseki partners COREN to check inflated road contracts

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Wednesday demonstrated his administration’s commitment to the frugal allocation of the resources accruing to the state by setting up a contact group with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) to review road contracts awarded by the state government.

    According to Obaseki, the contact group made up of executive members of COREN, the country’s highest engineering regulatory body, would drive down the cost of constructing roads and ensure quality work is done by contractors.

    Speaking during a courtesy visit by the executive members of COREN in Government House, Benin City, led by the Chief Inspector of the Benin Engineering Regulatory Inspectorate, Engr. Dr. Victor Obanor, the governor, expressed displeasure over the tendency for contractors to inflate the cost of road construction when the materials are available in within the country.

    Obaseki said the partnership with COREN was imperative and essential towards reducing the cost of construction, especially roads.

    He noted that his administration places a high premium on transparency and accountability and would ensure there is real value for every tax payer’s kobo spent to fund projects in the state. He further stressed that the state would need the collaboration of COREN in manpower development in order to boost the capacity of workers in the state, especially engineers.

    Earlier, Dr. Obanor said the group was impressed with the vision of the governor for infrastructural development in the state.

    According to him, “COREN believes that a technical solution is needed to deliver cost-effective and durable infrastructure, bearing in mind the current state of the country’s economy.”

     

  • COREN: 18 engineering courses accredited in eight universities

    COREN: 18 engineering courses accredited in eight universities

    The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has accredited 18 courses in eight universities across the country.

    The Registrar of COREN, Mr Kamila Maliki, who made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday, said the accreditation followed the 2017 second quarter visitation to universities.

    Maliki said that the accreditation was approved at the 154th Ordinary Meeting of COREN.

    He said that of the 29 programmes visited in universities across the country, seven were granted interim accreditation, while four failed accreditation.

    He said that the council also approved the registration of 10 engineering consulting firms, 1,098 engineers, 136 technologists, four engineering technicians, five engineering craftsmen and 11 expatriates.

    The registrar said that the capabilities of the registered firms, members and expatriates had been adequately tested and found worthy of COREN registration.

    Maliki said that the council also approved the appointment of Mr Ezak Udum Ezak as a Legal Assessor of COREN following the demise of Mr Mohammed Ibrahim.

    “As a fall out of the Stakeholders Meeting on Technical Colleges, which was held on May 5, council has approved the adoption of the report of the workshop.

    “It also approved a five-year strategic plan on Technical Manpower Shortage in Nigeria for immediate implementation,” he said.

  • Landmark varsity, NIM collaborate to expand management training

    Landmark varsity, NIM collaborate to expand management training

    Prof. Aize Obayan, the Vice-Chancellor, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara says the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the institute signed with Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) is to expand its frontier on management training.

    Obayan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran, Kwara on Sunday that the collaboration would afford the university build the capacity of the students in line with global best practices.

    NAN reports that the MOU, which was formalised on May 30, was on Students’ Management Certification Programme.

    She said that the MOU would serve as one of the springboards for the actualisation of the university’s visionary path with respect to providing a strong base for the students and the institution as a whole.

    The university boss described NIM as a professional body of excellence which provided the platform for management training to the advantage of students upon graduation.

    “We want to say that very soon Landmark University will become the hub of university and management excellence when is mentioned globally,” she said.

    Obayan said that the institution had been re-assured of the commitment of NIM toward honouring the terms and reference of the MOU through its Registrar and Chief Executive, Mr Tony Fadaka.

    According to her, Fadaka has reiterated that the Students’ Management Scheme is mooted by NIM as a means of giving students in Universities and Polytechnics the opportunity to imbibe the ideals and values of professional management.

    “The opportunity, Fadaka maintained will be useful at the early stage of the students’ career development.

    “The NIM boss equally gave the assurance that the partnership will open up the university to the institute’s network of international organisations with increased benefits,” Obayan said.

    She disclosed that the university had recently signed similar MOU with association of Chattered Certified Accountant (ACCA) and at the same time gained full professional accreditation status from Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

    “The Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) recently conferred full accreditation status on the Computer Science programme of the university,” Obayan added.

  • COREN to make public accreditation status of universities

    COREN to make public accreditation status of universities

    The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has approved the annual publication of accreditation status of universities running engineering programmes in the country.

    Mr. Kashim Ali, the President of COREN, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the end of council’s 2017 first quarter meeting.

    Ali said the council had also agreed that reminders be issued to concerned Vice Chancellors on the implications of running unaccredited or expired programmes.

    “Annually, we will publish the status of every university in Nigeria that is offering engineering programme so that parent will have information before they send their children and wards to the universities.

    “We also approved that before the commencement of this, a letter will be sent to the Vice chancellors of all universities for them to understand the implication of the action we are taking.

    “And for those that have outstanding unaccredited programme to submit them for valuation and accreditation where found worthy before the publication is done,’’ he said.

    He added that the council also considered the accreditation report from the University of Port Harcourt and Bayero University, Kano.

    The COREN president said nine out of the 11 programmes considered were given full accreditation while the remaining two were given pre-accreditation.

    Kashim called for the resuscitation of Technical Colleges across the country to ensure that craftsmen were adequately trained to meet the desired needs of the country.

    He blamed the current recession in the country on lack of opportunities for artisans to express themselves and contribute to the growth of the economy.

    According to him, the advocacy to resuscitate Technical Colleges started many years ago because a developing nation’s economy thrives mainly on small industries. 

  • Functional technical colleges, polytechnics solution to roads challenge —Senator

    Functional technical colleges, polytechnics solution to roads challenge —Senator

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, has said that the existence of functional technical colleges and polytechnics was the solution to the problem of Nigerian roads.

    Gaya said this at the Third National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institution of Highway and Transportation Engineers (NIHTE) on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The theme of the conference was “Transportation Sector Reform: The Panacea to the Nation’s Economic Recovery”.

    He said that the establishment of technical colleges and polytechnics was critical to the nation’s development as they were the grooming ground for young engineers.

    “There is an urgent need to have functional technical colleges and polytechnics in the country because it is critical to the training of young engineers that will take over from the old ones who are retiring.

    “These institutions dwell on practical and have the ability to bring up engineers that will revamp our road sector and reduce the loss of lives on Nigerian roads,’’ Gaya said.

    Commenting on the Road Sector Reform Bill and the Transport Sector Bill, Gaya assured Nigerians that they would be signed in 2017 for adequate management of the transportation sector.

    He explained that stakeholders in the engineering sector had been trying to get the bill since the last 44 years.

    He added that the road reform bill will provide ways of generating revenues for maintaining the roads by concession and toll gates, emphasising that roads must be fixed before being tolled.

    While presenting his paper, Mr Felix Atume, former Registrar, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), also said that government should focus more on polytechnics to boost the capacity of engineers.

    He added that more polytechnics should be established with less emphasis on universities to allow the education of more engineers in the country and ensure technical advancement.

    Atume attributed the challenges bedevilling the road sector in the country to the lack of understanding among  authorities and agencies in the sector.

    According to him, good road management emanates from clearly defined responsibilities of various road maintenance agencies and the establishment of an appropriate framework.

    He also called for regular maintenance of roads stating that “anytime you refuse to spend N100 million on road maintenance, you are incurring N300 million more worth of damage.’’

  • Subair to replace Ogunsanwo at LIRS

    Subair to replace Ogunsanwo at LIRS

    The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Monday nominated Mr Ayodele Subair for confirmation by the state House of Assembly as the new Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).

    Ambode, in a letter to the House of Assembly, said the development became necessary following the retirement of the erstwhile Chairman, Mr Folarin Ogunsanwo, who held the post since September 2015.

    He said that Subair’s presentation to the House of Assembly for confirmation was in conformity with Section 2 of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law (2006).

    Subair, according to the letter, was born on May 21, 1960, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the Metropolitan University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

    He also holds a Masters Degree in Business administration from the University of Lagos.

    The nominee is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), member of both the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN).

    He has over 34 years working experience, which started with the Price WaterHouse Chartered Accountants, before venturing into private practice in 1987 with the Hamzat Subair and Co. Chartered Accountants where he is the Managing Partner.

    Subair, the pioneer Director of Lagos State Lotteries Board, has worked with various international agencies such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

    Ambode also approved the appointment of Mr Abiodun Dabiri as the new Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).

    Dabiri, born on Jan. 2, 1964, holds a Bachelor of Science and Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Lagos.

    He is a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), corporate member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN).

    Dabiri joined LAMATA in 2008 and was until his appointment the Head of Procurement and Operational Contract Manager for the agency.