Tag: Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria

  • COREN to host summit on reforms

    COREN to host summit on reforms

    The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN)is set to host the Lagos Regional Engineering Stakeholders Summit, a pivotal gathering aimed at unveiling and discussing the restructuring, reforms, and new operational framework of COREN.

    The Executive Governor of Lagos State has been invited as the Special Guest of Honour at this landmark event.

    As the regulatory authority for engineering education, training and practice in Nigeria, COREN remains committed to strengthening professional standards, ensuring compliance, and fostering innovation in the sector.

    The forthcoming Summit will bring together key stakeholders, policy makers, industry leaders, academia, and professionals to deliberate on COREN’s recent legislative and operational reforms, which are designed to enhance efficiency, compliance, and governance in engineering practice nationwide.

    Read Also: COREN, Coleman sign MoU on local content

    A major highlight of the event will be a keynote address by His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, who will deliver strategic insights on the role of engineering in sustainable infrastructure development and economic growth in Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The Governor’s presence will further underscore the government’s commitment to engineering excellence, innovation, and professional integrity.

    Additionally, COREN will inaugurate the Lagos Regional Steering Committee (LRSC) during the Summit. This committee will provide technical and administrative oversight to COREN’s Regional and State Offices, ensuring the effective implementation of key engineering regulatory activities.

  • Panel probes building collapse

    Worried by the incessant cases of building collapse in the Federal Capital Territory, Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello has inaugurated a panel of inquiry to unravel the immediate and remote causes of the unfortunate building collapse at Plot 711, Cadastral Zone B04, Jabi District, Abuja.

    The FCT Minister, who was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, said the FCT Administration, as a responsible and responsive administration, was committed to unraveling the causes of the unfortunate incident with a view to stemming future occurrence.

    He said some officers directly in charge of monitoring the project site have been suspended pending the completion of investigations.

    The Minister disclosed that the committee, which has three weeks to complete its assignment, has been charged with the responsibility of assessing the quality of the subsoil, foundations and designs that were available for the structure, establish the quality of supervision and nature of construction materials used as well as the experience of the technical personnel at the site.

    The Committee is also expected to assess the level of regulation at the site and recommend appropriate sanction against any person found wanting.

    The Panel which is Chaired by the Director General and Chief Executive officer of the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute, Prof. Danladi S. Matawal, has retired Director of Engineering Services, FCDA, Engr. S. O Ugonabo; the MD, Fola Consult – a Planning Firm; Tpl S.A. Olajide, MD, 2-Habit Concept – Architectural Firm and Arch Philip Z. Iortyer as members.

    Also included in the panel are representatives of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, (COREN), Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) and Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), as well as the FCTA General Counsel, Barr. Mohammed Babangida Umar, among others.

    According to a statement issued by the minister’s Chief Press Secretary, Cosmas Uzodinma, Speaking after the inauguration ceremony, Chairman of the Panel, Prof. Matawal, stressed that the frequency of building collapse in Nigeria was unacceptable given the level of professionalism in the industry in the country.

    He commended the present FCT Administration for the reduction of the incidence of building collapse in the Territory, noting that the last time this happened was in August 2016.

    He recalled that in 2012 alone, there were over 20 recorded cases, adding that the fact that this has reduced was as a result of the efforts of the present Administration to tame the tide.

    Prof. Matawal appreciated the confidence reposed in the Committee members and assured that the Panel will give the assignment the seriousness it deserves and perform its work with decorum, sincerity and attention to details.

    He said the committee will also work with a vision for the future to ensure that occurrences of this nature which were very much avoidable would be addressed by its report.

    It would be recalled that a three floor structure under construction in Jabi District collapsed on Friday, August 17, 2018 leaving three persons dead while six others sustained various degrees of injuries.

  • COREN revisits FUNAAB’s engineering programmes

    The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has commenced the re-accreditation process of the Engineering programmes of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).

    The accreditation team leader, Prof Emmanuel Ajav, said the process was about quality assurance aimed at ensuring that engineering products of universities, polytechnics and technical colleges are sound and equipped to meet the challenges of the society and compete favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world.

    He said the exercise by the regulatory body was for partnership and grow, and not for witch-hunting.

    However, Ajav warned that products of any unaccredited programme would never be registered or recognised by the body even if eventually accredited.

    He solicited for the cooperation of the university community towards securing the re-accreditation.

    The team leader thanked the FUNAAB Vice Chancellor, Prof Kolawole Salako, for his favourable disposition to Engineering in the university, adding that with a well developed Engineering College, the university could reach its pinnacle.

    Responding, Salako underscored the need to explore engineering for agricultural development in the university.

    He charged the team to freely conduct their duties, while he expressed confidence in the College of Engineering (COLENG) and the Academic Planning Unit(APU) to have done the necessary preparation ahead of their visitation.

    The team visited facilities in the College and other designated areas of interest.

     

  • N100bn Sukuk fund: FG urged to monitor contractors

    N100bn Sukuk fund: FG urged to monitor contractors

    The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has called on the Federal Government (FG) to monitor the utilisation of the N100 billion Sukuk fund released to contractors for road projects.

    Mr Kashim Ali, the President of COREN made the call on Tuesday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Ali said the call became imperative because contractors were being owed for a very long time and that might impact negatively on the fund.

    “Now that the contractors have money, the next thing for them to do is to mobilise.

    “But because they are just coming from a long holiday of some sort, there is the need for vigilance on the part of the supervisory team.

    “A contractor who has been owed for a long time is like a wounded lion, he could come in with some negative tendencies wanting maybe to take as much money as possible.

    “So there is a need; at times like this, for everybody to be vigilant, not even only those in the Ministry of Works, but those of us who are also outside could be helpful.”

    He commended the Federal Government (FG) for embracing the Sukuk fund, adding that it is a viable alternative for funding infrastructure in many countries.

    He decried the rate of abandoned road projects in the country and called for proper management of resources on the part of the Federal Government.

    “If you were going to commit N5 on a section of the road that you commenced and abandoned, by the time you come back, the cost of the road would be double.

    “Government should manage its resources well such that it only awards what it can pay for.

    “That way, you take one, complete it and move to the next one instead of having so many constructions at the same time and there are no funds to manage them,” Ali said.

  • COREN accredits two UNIABUJA courses

    The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has accorded full accreditation to the Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering courses of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA).

    Registrar of the Council, Kamila Maliki, said in a letter to the university that this followed the reaccreditation visitation by COREN to the university’s undergraduate engineering programme in April.

    Maliki, an engineer, said in a statement by the university’s Deputy Registrar (Information and Publications) Waziri Garba that the interim accreditation status of the two courses took effect from April 20 and is valid for five years.

    The COREN Registrar, however, warned in the letter dated August 2,  that there would be random visits to the university within the period of validity to check on the state of facilities.

    He added that the accreditation would be withdrawn if there was any evidence of failing standard.

    “I therefore strongly advise for strict compliance with the recommendations highlighted”, Maliki said, stressing that this is “to ensure that the standards are not only maintained but improved upon”.

    The other courses of the Faculty of Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering, attained full accreditation status last year.