(Photo: President of COREN, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, Vice President of COREN (left) Mr Ola Olu Ogunduyile and Prof. Adisa Bello, Registrar of COREN.)

The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) on Wednesday, says it is expanding its departments into inspectorates across the six geopolitical zones to foster effective and efficient operations.

The President of COREN Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, stated this at a news conference to announce the upcoming 31st Engineering Assembly slated for Aug.7 to 9 in Abuja.

He said the theme of the event is: ‘Entrenching and Strengthening Engineering Practitioners Code of Conduct for Resilient Engineering Practice in Nigeria’.

He said that the event would bring all cadres of engineering practitioners together, to brainstorm on issues that would lift the profession to greater heights.

The president said that participation was compulsory for all members of the council.

Abubakar said that directorates would create a robust and responsive structure, that would allow the council express itself as a regulator in line with best global practice.

“COREN under the present leadership is being restructured for more effective and efficient operations and service delivery through promoting professionalism, fostering new and strengthening existing partnerships.

“This would lead to positive reforms in the education, training and practice of the engineering profession in our dear Nation.

“The roadmap would ensure that the existing technical departments are strengthened and expanded from five to eight.

“The new operational structure of COREN departments translated into Inspectorates will be cascaded from headquarters to six geopolitical zones and ultimately to all states.

“This would be re-enforced with the establishment of partnerships with key stakeholders, using varied modes of engagement to ensure effective coverage of the entire country.”

Abubakar said that the scope of activities of the council would also be expanded to 10 sectors, including power, oil and gas, aviation, mining, maritime and telecommunications.

Other sectors are Transport, Agro-Allied, Manufacturing and Production in addition to the Construction industry.

He said that the scope of the activities of COREN comprised three major components of the mandate of the council, which are the control and regulation of engineering education.

Others are control and regulation of engineering training, control and regulation of engineering practice.

According to him, before now the council had not been assertive on its control and regulation of its mandate like the health sector education.

“If a university would exceed the quota that the medical council or the dental or pharmaceutical council will give it, would be sanctioned.

“If the number of enrollment exceed your facilities that is for practical and teaching they will descend on you.

“We have activated that, it is already in our law, we have what we call the BMAS that defines the maximum number a university can admit students in any of the engineering profession.

“Based on the facilities of teaching, workshops and laboratories, just like medical students we have already written to universities and polytechnics and we are supposed to follow up with enforcement.

“We want to make sure that the skill and the proficiency of graduates whether in university or in polytechnic is sacrosanct.

“We have written to all universities all polytechnics that there must be oath taking of engineering graduates.

“And if you don’t comply we are going to sanction you and our inspectorates at the state level, will begin to invite you when the university or polytechnic is graduating its engineers,” Abubakar said.

NAN reports that the Assembly is an annual event, which features presentations and discussions relevant to the theme of the year by eminent Practitioners, scholars and technocrats.

It is designed to foster continuous professional development of engineering Practitioners among other benefits.