COREN Launches 90-Day Task Force and Activates Disciplinary Tribunal to Combat Engineering Quackery

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has announced a comprehensive regulatory crackdown aimed at eliminating engineering quackery and preventing infrastructure failures. At its 189th Ordinary Council Meeting, the council approved the establishment of a 90-Day Engineering Regulation Monitoring and Enforcement (ERM&E) Rapid Response Task Force designed to intensify oversight of engineering activities, identify unqualified practitioners, monitor critical projects, and enforce professional standards nationwide. Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Okorie Austine Uche signed the statement outlining the decisions.

The task force represents an emergency intervention mechanism to address recurring incidents of building collapse and infrastructure failures linked to poor professional practices and unregistered practitioners. The initiative will focus on enhancing compliance with engineering regulations, identifying illegal practitioners, and supporting enforcement actions where necessary. In parallel, COREN approved the activation of the Engineering Disciplinary Tribunal, which will provide a formal framework for investigating complaints against practitioners, addressing cases of professional misconduct, and imposing sanctions for breaches of professional ethics and regulatory violations.

The council also approved the registration of 3,328 engineering practitioners and 107 engineering firms. Notably, investigators identified nine cases involving fraudulent academic certificates submitted by applicants seeking registration; these cases have been referred to anti-corruption agencies for investigation and possible prosecution. This discovery underscores the prevalence of fraudulent credentials within the sector.

Complementing enforcement measures, COREN approved a nationwide public awareness campaign to educate Nigerians on the dangers of engaging unregistered engineering practitioners and the importance of complying with established engineering regulations and standards. The campaign addresses a fundamental problem: many engineering failures occur because project owners unknowingly employ individuals lacking the necessary qualifications and competence to execute engineering works.

Additional institutional reforms include the gazetting of the Engineering and Technology Accreditation Bureau (ETAB), reaffirming COREN's statutory responsibility for accrediting engineering programmes in Nigeria. The council also endorsed a national stakeholders' engagement on Draft Harmonised National Construction Safety Guidelines for the Nigerian Construction Industry and directed the completion and deployment of an upgraded COREN digital portal to enhance service delivery for practitioners and stakeholders.