… COREN unveils pre-NYSC engineering residency, mandates Continuous Professional Development for practising engineers
Oredola Adeola
Felix Ogbe, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and David Umahi, Minister of Works, have called for tighter engineering oversight and stricter compliance with professional standards, positioning the move as a strategic step to curb project failures, enhance operational efficiency, boost investor confidence, and strengthen Nigeria’s engineering capacity for global competitiveness.
In response, the leadership of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has announced plans to introduce a compulsory one-year Engineering Residency Programme for graduates ahead of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), alongside a mandate for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for all registered engineering professionals.
The measures form part of broader positions and resolutions adopted at the 34th Engineering Assembly of COREN in Abuja.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Ogbe, who was represented by Mr. Teddy Bai, Assistant Manager, Government Relations and Stakeholder Management, Corporate Communications Division, said engineering should be viewed not merely as a technical profession but as a cornerstone of national development and public trust.
Ogbe said every refinery, gas processing facility, pipeline, bridge, road, power plant and manufacturing facility depended on sound engineering practice, adding that the
Describing this year’s Assembly theme, “Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement, and a Tiered Sanctioning Regime,” as timely, he said it reflected the country’s growing need to strengthen accountability across the engineering profession.
He said the Board’s mandate to deepen local participation in the oil and gas industry complements COREN’s responsibility to regulate engineering practice by creating opportunities for qualified Nigerian engineers while upholding professional standards.
According to him, greater standardisation would reduce project failures, improve operational efficiency, boost investor confidence and position Nigerian engineering products and services to compete globally. strengthen Nigeria’s engineering capacity.
“As our nation pursues industrialisation, energy security and infrastructure expansion, adherence to standards will remain indispensable,” Ogbe said.
He reaffirmed NCDMB’s commitment to promoting health, safety and environmental (HSE) compliance across the oil and gas industry and said the Board would continue investing in human capital development through professional training, industry partnerships and capacity-building programmes.
Ogbe also highlighted the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGAPS) as part of efforts to expand indigenous manufacturing, support enterprise development and create jobs, while calling for greater investment in research, innovation and digital transformation to strengthen Nigeria’s engineering capacity.
He said the Board would continue working with COREN and other stakeholders to strengthen engineering practice, expand local capacity and support sustainable industrial development in line with the Federal Government’s economic diversification agenda.
Echoing the call for stricter compliance, Minister of Works, Engr. Umahi said the Federal Government was discussing with COREN measures to strengthen discipline among engineers handling public projects.
He said engineers who fail to meet required standards could be withdrawn from project sites for retraining before being redeployed, adding that some officials had already been recalled over non-compliance.
“When we bring you back to the office, we will begin lectures on those standards that you have failed. After six months, when you have passed, we can send you back to site or give you another assignment,” Umahi said.
He blamed weak sanctions for declining standards and urged COREN to strengthen its disciplinary role by ensuring that only certified professionals practise engineering while taking action against those who violate standards or inflate project costs.
Umahi added that the Ministry of Works had prioritised local content in infrastructure delivery and encouraged foreign contractors to invest in Nigeria.
Among the five key decisions reached at the Engineering Assembly, the COREN revealed that the plan to introduce a compulsory one-year Engineering Residency Programme for graduates before they proceed for the NYSC), is an initiative designed to provide hands-on industry experience in a model similar to the medical residency system.
COREN also resolved that all registered engineering professionals, including Engineers, Engineering Technologists, Engineering Technicians, and Engineering Craftsmen, will be required to participate in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) as a condition for maintaining and renewing their annual practising licences.
