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OLALEKAN Agoro, Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Lagos Branch, on Friday urged the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) to implement the Engineering Amendment Act, 2019.
Agoro told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, that the implementation was key to effectiveness of the Act.
NAN reports that President Buhari on March 22, signed the 2019 Engineers Registration Act Amendment Bill into Law.
The amendment broadened COREN’s powers of prosecution of infractions, regulating industrial training of engineers’ capacity building of local content in the country’s engineering industry.
Agoro said this implied that COREN had been granted power to prosecute any person or firm that contravened the provisions of the Act in a court of competent jurisdiction.
He also said that COREN had been empowered to ensure that all foreign engineering firms establish their design offices in Nigeria and grant compulsory attestation to all expatriate quota for engineering practitioners.
According to him, it is a good development which will bring about expansion and development of engineering practice in the country.
“The law vested on COREN, the power of regulating industrial training schemes in engineering practitioners and students and ensuring capacity building and monitoring local content development in the Nigerian engineering industry.
“This is through mandatory attachment of Nigerians to expatriate engineers on major projects, to understudy them from inception.
“It also empowers COREN to ensure that granting of expatriate quota shall be contingent on training of such number of persons as may be required for the execution of the job.
“It is also to ensure that before being allowed to practice in Nigeria, such foreign engineering practitioners, granted work, permit must register with the council.
“They must also obtain such licenses as may be required from time to time.
“But implementation is key if the amendment will have positive impact on the economy,” Agoro said.
He noted that with adequate enforcement, the capacity of Nigerian engineers would be enhanced, to position them for technological development of the country.
The NSE Chairman lamented the under-ultilisation of potential of the Nigerian engineers which he said was the cause of infrastructure decay in the country.
According to him, there is need to enhance technological advancement of the nation to enable it compete with other countries
He said that Nigerian engineers should be at the centre of infrastructure development in the country. (NAN)
– Apr. 12, 2019 @ 14:32 GMT |
Tags: Lagos branch seeks implementation of Engineering Amendment Act NSE
