The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has announced a new strategic regulatory framework aimed at improving public safety, strengthening enforcement, and tackling unqualified engineering practice.
COREN President, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, disclosed this at a news conference ahead of the 34th COREN Engineering Assembly, scheduled for July 13 to 15 in Abuja.
Abubakar said the Assembly, themed “Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement, and a Tiered Sanctioning Regime,” remains the foremost policy and professional gathering of engineers to address national issues.
He said engineering remains central to Nigeria’s economic transformation, noting that the profession plays a critical role in all sectors.
However, he said the growing complexity of infrastructure projects, technological advancements, urbanisation and climate-related challenges require stronger engineering governance and strict compliance with professional standards.
He expressed concern over recurring incidents of infrastructure failures, building collapses, industrial accidents, and the activities of unqualified persons practising engineering.
He emphasised that such occurrences undermine public confidence and threaten lives and investments.
“Every engineering failure is first a failure of compliance before it becomes a failure of infrastructure. Preventing such failures must therefore remain our collective priority,” he said.
Abubakar explained that the theme of the 34th Assembly reflects COREN’s commitment to moving beyond traditional registration and licensing functions towards proactive regulation, risk-based monitoring, continuous professional development and evidence-based enforcement.
“Recognising this responsibility, COREN is championing a new regulatory philosophy anchored on strategic engineering regulation.
“It seeks to anticipate risks, prevent failures and strengthen compliance before deficiencies escalate into accidents or disasters.
“A major pillar of this strategy is the strengthening of Engineering Regulation, Monitoring and Enforcement (ERME),” he said.
The COREN president disclosed that the council is repositioning its inspection and monitoring systems to ensure greater compliance with engineering laws, regulations, codes and standards throughout the life cycle of engineering projects.
He said regular inspections, professional audits and systematic monitoring would be indispensable in identifying unsafe practices, ensuring adherence to approved engineering procedures and promoting quality assurance across all sectors.
He said the council is introducing a tiered sanctioning regime to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in addressing professional misconduct.
He explained that sanctions would be based on the severity of offences and could range from corrective measures and mandatory professional development to licence suspension, withdrawal and prosecution where necessary.
“The objective is not merely to punish, but to deter misconduct, encourage compliance and strengthen public confidence in the engineering profession,” he said.
Abubakar added that COREN is pursuing reforms to strengthen the Engineering Act and improve its regulatory powers, while also accelerating digital transformation through technology-driven monitoring and compliance systems.
He announced that the 34th Assembly would feature major stakeholders, with the keynote address to be delivered by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, who is the first engineer to occupy the position.
Abubakar also announced the reactivation of the COREN disciplinary tribunal to handle cases of professional misconduct among registered practitioners.
He urged members of the public to report unqualified persons engaging in engineering practice, saying public participation is essential to protecting lives and property.
The COREN Vice President, Olaolu Ogunduyile, appealed to the media and members of the public to support the council’s campaign against quackery and unsafe engineering practices by acting as whistleblowers.
He also highlighted efforts to promote local content development, revealing that Nigeria is making progress in establishing local manufacturing capacity, including a transformer manufacturing facility expected to be inaugurated in Lagos.
The COREN Registrar, Prof. Uche Okorie, said the council had decided to intensify public awareness because engineering regulation is ultimately about protecting lives.
Okorie urged Nigerians to see public safety as a collective responsibility, stressing that effective regulation requires collaboration among government agencies, universities, industry stakeholders, professional bodies and the public.
He acknowledged funding challenges as one of the major obstacles limiting nationwide regulatory coverage, particularly efforts to extend engineering monitoring to all 774 local governments.
Okorie assured that COREN would continue to strengthen partnerships and enforcement mechanisms to ensure safer infrastructure and improved professional standards.
