A former governor’s Aide, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, says that the exclusion of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) from the Federal Budget forced it to reassess its operations.
Adeyoye, a former Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, made the assertion on the sidelines of a summit and committee inauguration by COREN on Tuesday in Lagos.
The event had the title: “Regional Engineering Stakeholders’ Summit on Restructuring and Reforms in Engineering for National Development and the Inauguration of Lagos Regional Steering Committee.”
Adeyoye said that the withdrawal of funding had forced the council to become more self-reliant, efficient and responsive to the needs of the Engineering profession in Nigeria.
She said: “In my opinion, it was a good thing that they had to wean COREN off the meal. Hitherto, a lot of people have always wondered why COREN is not able to be effective in the way of its operations.
“So, one of the things at the retreat last year was for us to look at where we have gaps? And clearly we’ve identified it the moment they withdrew COREN from the funding under the Federal Government. It then allowed us to look inwards, to say exactly what can we do?
“First, was the number of sectors. We’ve always concentrated our efforts on construction, but there are other sectors, including mining.
“There are a lot of mining activities in the North. So every region has something that is peculiar to it.
“In the Southern part, particularly Lagos, we have a lot of construction work and manufacturing.
“But more importantly, COREN is moving toward a digital system for registration and data capture of practitioners and firms.’’
Adeyoye, also a member of the Lagos Steering Committee, disclosed that the council would strictly enforce annual licensing fees for practitioners, similar to global best practices.
“Regarding annual licensing fees, it’s a standard practice worldwide that professionals, much like doctors and hospitals, renew their licenses at the beginning of each year.
“COREN will be strictly enforcing this requirement. To maintain professional standing, remain on the COREN database and practice legally, engineers must pay their annual licensing fees within the first month of the year.
“Late payments will incur penalties, similar to tax regulations where overdue payments attract additional charges.
“COREN will be raising awareness among Engineers about the critical importance of these annual fees. They are essential for practicing legally, much like a meal ticket is necessary for sustenance,’’ she said.
Adeyoye said, however, that license renewal was dependent upon more than just fee payment.
She said that Engineers should also be seen to demonstrate Continuous Professional Development (CPD), urging them to prove they had engaged in CPD activities.
She added that they also needed to ensure their skills and knowledge remained current before paying the annual fee.
“Simply paying the fee is insufficient, Engineers must show evidence of professional growth and competency development throughout the year.
“Even without a current project, Engineers are expected to demonstrate how they have developed their skills in specific areas.
“COREN will scrutinise this evidence during the registration and renewal process.
“Furthermore, attendance at the annual engineering assembly will be mandatory, and these assemblies will be structured to be substantive and beneficial, not merely social events.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the government had revealed, in a circular with reference number: DG/BDT/GEN. CORR/2016/XII/3067, dated June 26, 2023, its decision to stop funding professional bodies and councils starting from January 2024.
The Budget Office asked the affected bodies to begin to make adjustments early, so they could continue to run their organisations seamlessly after the government might have withdrawn its financial support.
The Director General of the budget office, Ben Akabueze, said the decision was in line with the recommendation of the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PSC)
NAN