Henceforth, engineering graduates from Nigerian universities and polytechnics will undergo a mandatory one year residency before they go for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Speaking ahead of the 33rd Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Assembly slated for July 14, 2025, in Abuja, president of the council, Professor Sadiq Abubakar said that the mandatory training is to develop their competency, proficiency and the hands-on experience.

According to him, any graduate who fails to have the experience won?t be qualified to be an engineer in Nigeria. The competency training, he said, is not new.

?It has been existing for over 20 years but we want to reintroduce it.

?After graduation, they will have to undergo mandatory one-year residency in their area of specialisation to be able to develop the competence, the proficiency and the hands-on experience. That will qualify them after graduation and certification from the residency to go for NYSC one year.

"The one year of residency and probably posting in engineering organisations will amount to part of the qualification for any engineer with a degree qualification or Higher National Diploma (HND) qualification to be able to register with COREN as an engineer or as a technologist so that they can practise anywhere in the world and they can be regulated under any jurisdiction, whether in Nigeria or in any part of the globe? he said.

The president also said that COREN had already signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with other jurisdictions in Europe, in Asia, in Americas, under the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) agreement.

?These, we believe, are very, very important milestones and are new arenas and pathways that Nigeria will develop its human capital to be competitive globally. In our bid to advance professionalism, which is part of this year?s assembly, COREN has concluded arrangements with four engineering associations under what we call Engineering Professional Examination Committee, (EPEC), to commence training and professional development that will allow members to have qualification and eligibility to renew their practice and licence.

?Hitherto, this has not been a critical eligibility criteria, but now, for any practitioner, whether an engineer or a technologist or technician, they have to renew their practice and licence annually and they must go under this EPEC (that is this Engineering Professional Examination Committee) that is being organised by COREN and the four engineering associations in this country? he said.

Furthermore, Abubakar stated that COREN has been leading the national skill and qualification framework agenda in Nigeria as far as engineering is concerned.

?I am sure you are aware that the federal government has included what they call national skill qualification levels into the scheme of service of this country.

?This new policy, under the current administration, has placed on the shoulders of COREN to certify training centres, to register artisans and to regulate them in any engineering endeavour, alongside with National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), with Engineering Academy, Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and other important regulators in the various sub-sectors of power, oil and gas; of construction, of telecommunication and the likes. These are important milestones? he explained. (Daily Sun)

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