COREN launches committees to enhance grassroots engineering regulation

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has announced the creation of regional steering committees aimed at decentralising its activities and operations across the six geopolitical zones. 

This is as the council sounded the alarm on the country’s recurring building collapse and national grid failures.

The move seeks to cascade COREN’s activities down to the grassroots, addressing the organization’s 54-year history of over-centralization.

According to Engr. Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, COREN’s president, the initiative would begin with the South-South region, designating Port Harcourt as the regional headquarters. 

Speaking during a three-day Regional Engineering Stakeholders Summit on Restructuring, Reforms, and the New Operational Frame of COREN, Abubakar said the regional offices will focus on regulating three key areas: engineering education, professional development of members, and engineering practice by companies and individuals.

To achieve its goals, the National President noted that COREN has established the Engineering Regulations Monitoring (ERM) department, which will oversee the implementation of engineering practice in Nigeria.

He disclosed that the ERM department will have offices in all 36 states and the FCT, with sector-based inspectors reporting to the Registrar.

He said: “The department’s strategies include monitoring public and private sector companies, consulting and construction engineering firms, and deployment of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) engineering members. 

“They will also identify and prosecute quacks and unregistered persons, ensure access to engineering project sites, and monitor compliance with licensing regulations.”

Speaking on the frequent building collapse,  and Natioan grid failure, Abubakar said Nigeria’s lack of effective regulation and enforcement in the engineering sector significantly contributes to these issues.

He emphasized the need for trained and certified inspectors to investigate engineering infrastructure failures, noting that Nigeria lags behind global standards in this area, except in the aviation sector.  

He highlighted that when a plane crashes, Nigeria deploys certified inspectors from around the world to investigate, but this doesn’t happen for building collapses.

To address these challenges, he revealed that COREN has established investigative committees to probe building collapses and other engineering failures, introduced a whistleblower system to report sharp practices and adulteration of materials in construction sites, and empowered task forces to seal off and investigate problematic building sites.

On his part, Engr. George Okoroma, Chairman of the South-South Regional Steering Committee, said the move will bring engineering investigations and regulation closer to the people.

Okoroma emphasized that COREN’s decentralization will enable more effective surveillance and investigation of engineering activities across local government areas.

“Engineering practice is going down to the nook and crannies of all the LGAs.This proximity will allow COREN to identify potential structural issues, conduct investigations, and provide solutions to mitigate future occurrences.”

On the issue of building collapse, Okoroma noted that COREN will now be closer to the environment, monitoring and identifying structures that may pose risks. “We’ll be able to proffer solutions and mitigate against future occurrences,” he assured.

Regarding sanctions, Okoroma stressed that COREN seeks to apply penalties as outlined in the law, ensuring compensation for victims of negligence or malpractice.

“We don’t have what we call a penalty in Nigeria. We expect that they allow us to apply the sanction in our law,” he said.