President Bola Tinubu has assured that all ongoing federal road projects are designed to last between 50 and 100 years.

The president, who spoke yesterday in Abuja while declaring open the 34th Engineering Assembly of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), with the theme, ‘Shaping Solutions; Building a Greater Future’.

Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, described COREN as a critical public safety institution with the statutory responsibility of regulating engineering practice across the country, stating that engineering must place the safety of Nigerians at the centre of infrastructure development, and that roads, bridges, buildings and other public facilities should be built to protect lives and support sustainable national development.

“Every road project that we are doing has a lifespan of between 50 and 100 years. This is a complete departure from the previous practice where most roads completed never lasted up to five years,” he stated.

Tinubu said Nigeria must transition from a largely reactive engineering regulatory system to one that is preventive, data-driven and effectively enforced. He stressed that every stage of infrastructure delivery, from planning and design to procurement, construction, supervision, commissioning and maintenance, must be guided by competence, integrity and strict compliance with engineering standards.

According to the president, engineering failures result in loss of lives, wasted investments, damaged public confidence and delayed national development.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. NentaweYilwatda, said Nigeria would achieve its quest for sustainable development, economic transformation, industrial growth and global competitiveness by placing engineering, innovation and technology at the centre of its national planning and execution,

He stressed that “every modern economy that has successfully transformed itself has done so by empowering its engineers, scientists and innovators to develop indigenous solutions capable of addressing national priorities.”

In his remarks, COREN President and Chairman of Council, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, said this year’s assembly focused on strengthening engineering regulation to improve public safety and restore confidence in Nigeria’s infrastructure.

He noted that engineering regulation remained one of the council’s core mandates, noting that engineering failures often have devastating consequences for lives, property and the environment.

Abubakar highlighted several achievements recorded by the council over the past year, including reforms in engineering education, enhanced regulatory oversight, expansion of digital licensing and verification services, stronger enforcement activities, professional capacity development and increased collaboration with international engineering bodies.

More so, he disclosed that COREN had secured the endorsement of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to enforce admission quotas for engineering programmes in Nigerian universities, similar to those applicable to Medicine, Law and Pharmacy.

Also speaking, President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, represented by the Group’s Chief Economist, Prof. Hassan Mahmoud, described engineering excellence as a strategic economic imperative for Nigeria.

Mahmoud noted that public safety begins long before infrastructure is commissioned, stressing that quality engineering starts from design, material selection, construction supervision and quality assurance.

The APC chairman described engineering as a strategic instrument for nation-building, economic prosperity and social progress, explaining that shaping solutions demands more than technical competence and requires “visionary leadership, creative thinking, continuous research, ethical professional conduct and an unwavering commitment to solving real societal problems.

“According to him, engineers are expected to design systems that improve lives, create resilient infrastructure, develop sustainable energy solutions, modernise agriculture, strengthen healthcare delivery, expand digital connectivity and support industrial growth.”