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Daniel Adaji
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has inaugurated a 13-member committee to review and amend the Engineers (Registration, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2018, with a focus on securing sustainable funding for the Engineering Residency Programme (ERP) and addressing gaps in the law.
The inauguration was performed in Abuja on Wednesday, by COREN President, Engr. Sadiq Abubakar, who stressed the urgency of reviewing the Act to strengthen engineering practice in the country.
He explained that the ERP was developed to bridge the gap between academic training and industry requirements but required a dependable funding framework to succeed. According to him, the scheme draws from the defunct Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE), which failed due to inadequate funding.
To guarantee sustainability, COREN had proposed financing the ERP through the Engineering Development Levy stipulated in Section 2(5) and Paragraph 3 of the Third Schedule to the Act. The levy requires remittance of 0.005% of the total contract sum of all Federal Government engineering projects to COREN. However, Prof. Abubakar argued that the rate must be reviewed upward in line with economic realities and inflationary pressures.
“By inaugurating this Committee, we are not unmindful of other interests, and I expect you to undertake a holistic review of the Engineers (Registration, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2018,” he stated.
The committee’s terms of reference include reviewing the current Act to identify strengths and weaknesses, soliciting stakeholder input, benchmarking against global best practices, and recommending amendments to strengthen COREN’s regulatory powers.
Key areas of focus are enhancing inspection and enforcement, strengthening disciplinary measures, providing legal backing for the Engineering Regulation Monitoring Department, ensuring sustainable ERP funding, and reflecting emerging technologies in engineering practice.
Abubakar also tasked the committee to consult widely, noting that “a National Assembly member had already submitted a memo on the proposed amendment.” He further revealed that the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, had expressed interest in engaging the committee to improve the visibility of COREN’s enforcement activities.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Chairman Engr. Kamila Maliki expressed gratitude for the assignment, describing it as a duty of national importance.
“We accept this responsibility with a profound sense of duty and commitment, fully aware of its significance to the growth and advancement of the engineering profession in Nigeria,” he said.
Maliki assured that the committee would conduct a thorough review of the Act, engage extensively with stakeholders, and produce recommendations aligned with international best practices.
Registrar of COREN, Prof. Okorie Uche, unveiled the members of the committee, which includes representatives from the National Assembly, professional engineering associations, and state governments. The committee held its inaugural meeting immediately after the inauguration.