Engineering As A Career In Nigeria

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, is a body set-up by the Decrees 55/70 and 27/92 (now Acts 110). The Decrees empowered the Council to regulate and control the training and practice of engineering in Nigeria and to ensure and enforce the registration of all engineering personnel (i.e. Engineers, Engineering Technologists, Engineering Technicians, and Engineering Craftsmen) and consulting firms wishing to practice or engage in the practice of practice of engineering. [7]

COREN has been able to regulate that a person desiring to become a registered Engineering Personnel must, after obtaining the approved/accredited required academic qualification, must have four (4) years post-graduate experience which must be under the supervision of a senior registered Engineer. Council believes that the continuing effectiveness of an engineering personnel depends on his contact with a recognized professional society and therefore advises engineering personnel to belong to a recognized professional society. It must be emphasized that membership of a society does not by itself grant automatic right to registration. Council still needs to satisfy itself that the academic qualification is registrable for the category applied for.

APPROVED SCHEDULE OF ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS INTO ENGINEERING CADRES

S/N	ENGINEERS	TECHNOLOGISTS	TECHNICIANS	CRAFTSMEN
1.	B.Sc, B. Eng, B. Tech in Engineering	HND in Engineering from COREN accredited Polytechnics or Monotechnics.	ND in Engineering from accredited Polytechnics or Monotechnics.	WAEC Technical/NABTEB
2.	HND in an Engineering field + COREN accredited PGD in the same field, e.g. HND Civil Engineering + PGD Civil Engineering.	Degrees in Engineering from East Bloc translated as B.Sc in Engineering.	Full Technological Certificate (FTC) – Technician.	Trade Test I
3.	HND in an Engineering field + NSE Graduateship Exam in the same field, e.g. HND Electrical + NSE Grad in Electrical Engineering.	Diploma – Grad from Continental Europe.	Technicians Professional Examination for registered Craftsmen.	Craft Certificate from City & Guilds.
4.	B.Sc Physics with Electronics or B. Sc Computer Science + COREN accredited PGD in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or NSE Grad in Electrical/Electronics Engineering = B.Sc or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Electrical/Electronics Engineering.	B. Tech in Engineering from some accredited American Universities as contained in ABET List.
5.	B. Sc Physics + COREN accredited PGD or NSE Grad in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering = B.Sc. or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Met. &Mat.	Technologists Professional Examination for registered Technicians
6.	B. Sc Chemistry or Industrial Chemistry + COREN accredited PGD or NSE Grad in Chemical Engineering = B.Sc. or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering.
7.	HND in an Engineering field + COREN accredited Post HND in the same field.
8.	Diploma – Engineer from Continental Europe.
9.	Degrees in Engineering from the East Bloc translated as M. Sc.
10.	B.Sc (Building) + PGD (Civil) or NSE Grad in Civil.
11.	New B.Sc in some countries in Eastern Bloc as degree.
12.	H.N.D in a field + M.Sc in the same field.
Note: For further clarification on foreign qualifications, Consult ABET or FEANI

The decree specifies the abbreviation to be used by each cadre as follows: A Registered Engineer shall use the abbreviation “Engr” before his name. A Registered Engineering Technologists shall use the abbreviation “Engn. Tech” after his name. A Registered Engineering Technician shall use the abbreviation “Tech” after his name. A Registered Engineering Craftsman shall use his full title “Craftsman” with his trade in bracket under his name.

It is illegal:

1. For any firms or persons to engage in engineering practice unless they are:
Fully registered by COREN to practice in their appropriate cadre (except engineering personnel still undergoing practical training e.g. pupil engineers, etc, for the purpose of acquiring the requisite experience for registration). Financially up to date in the payment of their practicing fees.

2. For any person, government or company to: Engage a non-registered engineering person or consulting firm to execute or participate in doing engineering work in an engineering project (except engineering personnel still undergoing practical training e.g. pupil engineers, etc, for the purpose of acquiring the requisite experience for registration). Use non-engineering personnel to perform engineering functions. Assign non-engineering functions to engineers below managerial levels, particularly where the engineering functions are available. Engage expatriate engineering personnel to do engineering work when qualified Nigerian engineering personnel are unemployed and available to be engaged to do such work.

COREN has established a network of Inspectors headed in each of the many zones around the country by a Chief Inspector. The Inspectors are very senior, experienced registered engineers selected from branches of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in the various zones. These Inspectors, constituted into teams of four or more members, are empowered to visit industrial and construction sites as well as company offices and work locations to ensure that COREN regulations are being observed. Their indictment of any person or firm will lead to possible prosecution. Inspectors will ensure that:

· All those assigned engineering functions are engineering personnel and are duly registered by COREN.

· All registered engineering personnel have paid their practicing fees.

· Engineering personnel are not used for non-engineering jobs when they can appropriately be engaged in engineering function, and

· Consulting firms engaged by Industry or Government for engineering jobs are fully registered by COREN.

The Inspectors will also ascertain that engineering personnel not yet registered by COREN are not employed on or promoted to positions beyond the following levels:

· Unregistered engineers NOT TO BE APPOINTED OR PROMOTED BEYOND the level of Senior Manager or equivalent (Grade Level 10).

· Unregistered technologists in engineering NOT TO BE APPOINTED OR PROMOTED BEYOND the level of Principal Technologists (GL.10).

· Unregistered technician NOT TO BE PROMOTED OR APPOINTED BEYOND the level of FOREMAN or Equivalent (GL.06)

It is illegal for any tertiary institution to run engineering programmes at the University degree and Higher National Diploma Levels without full accreditation of COREN. Defaulting institutions shall be compelled to close down such programmes instantly. It is illegal and an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment as prescribed by Decree 55/70 to engage non- engineering personnel to do engineering work.

By law, engineering practice is defined to include any professional service or creative work requiring the application of special knowledge of mathematics, physics and engineering in form of consultation, invention, discovery, valuation, research and teaching in recognized engineering institution, planning, operation, maintenance, supervision of construction and installation involving investigating, advising, operating, evaluating, measuring, planning, designing, specifying, laying and directing, constructing, commissioning, inspecting or testing in connection with any public or private utilities, structures, buildings, machines, equipment, processes works or projects. The Federal civil Service commission, the States Civil Service commission, the local Government Service commissions, the Federal and State government parastatals and companies and industries within the organized private sectors shall in particular ensure compliance.

COREN over the years have been advocating for graduating engineering students of the nation's tertiary institutions to be exposed to a mandatory one year internship programme called Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE) before proceeding on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. This novel programme is still far from taking off.

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