Abuja: The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing collaboration in the regulation of engineering practices within the power sector. The agreement was signed by COREN President, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, with the goal of promoting synergy in engineering regulation.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Prof. Abubakar highlighted that COREN has been solely responsible for regulating engineering in Nigeria for the past 55 years. However, with the evolution of engineering and the establishment of specialized regulators like NEC and NEMSA in the power sector, there is a need for COREN to collaborate with these entities to identify and fill regulatory gaps.
Abubakar emphasized the importance of creating a robust regulatory ecosystem in Nigeria, aiming to ensure value for money, resilient infrastructure, and competent practitioners. He praised NEMSA for the partnership and outlined areas of cooperation, including code and standard committees, regulation monitoring, enforcement, and disciplinary actions.
Engr Aliyu Tahir, the Managing Director and CEO of NEMSA, underscored that NEMSA’s mandate includes enforcing technical standards and conducting inspections and certifications related to electrical installations and equipment. Tahir stressed that the MoU with COREN represents a strategic partnership crucial for achieving shared objectives, such as ensuring professional accountability and competence through certification.
The partnership will enable data exchange on disciplinary actions and enhance certification quality, particularly in renewable energy and broader electrical engineering sectors. It will also foster skilled manpower development and stakeholder engagement to address engineering challenges.
Prof. Okorie Uche, COREN Registrar, pointed out the problem of unlicensed practitioners taking over engineering jobs, emphasizing the need for collaboration to eliminate quacks from the industry. He is optimistic that the partnership will lead to improved standards and practices in Nigeria’s engineering sector.