President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening engineering regulation, promoting quality infrastructure delivery and safeguarding public safety, as the 34th COREN Engineering Assembly officially commenced in Abuja.
The President’s message was delivered by the Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. Sen. David Nweze Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE, who represented him at the Opening Ceremony and also served as the Keynote Speaker. The Minister formally declared the Assembly open on behalf of the President.
Held at the Velodrome, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, the Assembly attracted engineering professionals, policymakers, government officials, industry leaders, academia, development partners and other stakeholders from across the country. The Assembly is themed “Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement and a Tiered Sanctioning Regime.”
Delivering President Tinubu’s message, Engr. Umahi described engineering as the backbone of national development and emphasized that effective regulatory enforcement is essential to protecting lives, ensuring quality infrastructure and restoring public confidence in the engineering profession. He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to completing the ongoing Legacy Road Projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda as strategic investments that will enhance connectivity, stimulate economic growth and support national development.
In his keynote address, the Honourable Minister described the Assembly’s theme as timely and aligned with the Federal Government’s vision for safe and sustainable infrastructure development. He stressed that engineering is a profession where errors can have irreversible consequences, calling for stronger regulatory oversight, strict enforcement of engineering standards and effective sanctions against unqualified practitioners. He also urged engineers to uphold professional integrity, maintain independence in project execution and ensure strict compliance with engineering ethics and best practices.
The Chairman of the ceremony, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, GCON, represented by Prof. Hassan Umaru, described engineering excellence as the foundation of public trust, industrial competitiveness and national development. Drawing from the successful delivery of the Dangote Refinery, he underscored the importance of quality control, technical discipline and strict compliance with engineering standards in delivering world-class infrastructure.
In his welcome address, the President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Engr. Prof. Sadiq Z. Abubakar, FNSE, FAEng, reaffirmed the Council’s statutory mandate to regulate engineering education and practice in line with global standards. He noted that public safety remains the ultimate measure of engineering success and emphasized that effective engineering regulation must be supported by proactive compliance monitoring, robust enforcement and a transparent sanction regime capable of deterring unsafe engineering practices.
Prof. Abubakar also highlighted major milestones recorded by the Council over the past year, including reforms in engineering education, strengthened nationwide compliance inspections, expansion of digital regulatory services, enhanced enforcement activities, professional capacity development, promotion of engineering codes and standards, increased international engagements, and the introduction of engineering intelligence and risk-based regulatory systems. He reaffirmed COREN’s commitment to strengthening integrity, professionalism and accountability across the engineering profession.
Earlier, the Registrar of COREN, Engr. Prof. O. A. U. Uche, FNSE, FNICE, delivered the introductory remarks and called for stronger collaboration among government, professional bodies, academia, industry and the private sector to advance engineering excellence and sustain quality infrastructure development.
Also speaking, the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, commended COREN for its commitment to advancing engineering practice and reaffirmed the Ministry’s readiness to partner with the Council in promoting innovation, digital transformation, technology commercialization, capacity development and sustainable infrastructure.
The Assembly also featured goodwill messages from representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the All Progressives Congress (APC), who commended COREN’s contributions to engineering regulation and national development.
The 34th COREN Engineering Assembly continues with technical sessions, policy dialogues and stakeholder engagements aimed at strengthening engineering regulation, enhancing public safety, promoting professionalism and supporting sustainable infrastructure development in Nigeria.
e-Signed
Ojonugwa Haruna
Head,
Corporate Advancement and Public Affairs Department (CAPA)
Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN
