COREN Accredits 11 Programmes in UniPort, BUK, Registers 844 New Engineers

President of COREN, Engr. Kashim Ali, said the Council considered and approved the accreditations which were carried out in January and February 2017, during its 153rd Ordinary Meeting in Abuja.

Ali, who briefed the press shortly after the meeting, disclosed that 9 of the programmes were given full accreditation while 2 passed pre-accreditation.

He said the council also approved that henceforth, the status of universities running accredited engineering programmes would be published annually, to guide students and parents on their choices of institutions.

“The council approved the annual publication of the status of universities running accredited engineering programmes.

“The Council also approved that letters of reminders be issued to all concerned Vice Chancellors on the implications of running unaccredited/ expired programmes,” he said.

Ali also doubled down on COREN’s sanctions slammed on engineering graduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, maintaining that the only window of opportunity for their eventual registration was to acquire further credentials.

It would be recalled that 142 graduates of Agric and Bio-resources engineering and Polymer and Textile Engineering from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka were denied registration and hence cannot practice engineering in Nigeria because their programmes were not approved by COREN.

Speaking further, Ali expressed concern over the sorry state of technical colleges across the country, stressing that the colleges are critical to the training of manpower for the economic growth of the nation.

He said in spite of COREN’s passionate appeal to state governments to resuscitate technical colleges, the states have not heeded the appeal.

According to him, the advocacy visits to states started ten years ago but were met with harrowing stories of dilapidated infrastructures and lack of facilities such as labs and workshops.

While lamenting that technical jobs in the country were currently run by foreigners, he assured that the council would further engage state and federal governments to discuss the resuscitation of technical colleges.

Meanwhile, Ali has disclosed that COREN carried out registration of 844 engineers, 84 engineering technologists, 2 engineering technicians, 12 craftsmen and 10 expatriates in the first quarter of 2017.

The COREN National President noted that 8 limited liability consulting firms were also registered during the period even as he dismissed allegations of dispute between Engineers and Technicians in the country, stressing that they both understand their career paths and are remunerated accordingly.

He further disclosed that COREN approved the establishment of a project and facility management unit to ensure effective and efficient delivery of support services to the council.

He further disclosed that COREN approved the establishment of a project and facility management unit to ensure effective and efficient delivery of support services to the council.