The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) took a decisive leap forward this week by approving a groundbreaking Engineering Residency Programme—a mandatory, one-year post-graduation scheme designed to strengthen engineering education and practice nationwide. The announcement comes ahead of the upcoming 33rd COREN Annual Engineering Assembly, scheduled from July 15–17, 2025, in Abuja.
This extensive analysis explores the programme’s vision, structure, funding, legislative framework, and expected impact on Nigeria’s engineering landscape, as elucidated by Professor Sadiq Z. Abubakar, COREN President and visionary architect behind the initiative.
Table of Contents
Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry
Engineering graduates currently face a sharp divide between theoretical learning and hands-on practice. COREN’s new residency, resuscitating its earlier Supervised Industrial Training Scheme, seeks to bridge that gap. Undergraduates and Higher National Diploma holders from accredited universities and polytechnics will, after obtaining their degrees, immediately embark on a compulsory residency in their chosen specialisation before proceeding with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
As Prof. Abubakar explains, this creates a two-year post-graduation pathway: one-year Engineering Residency Programme (ERP) plus one-year NYSC, both geared to fulfil global competence standards.
The redesigned ERP ensures the development of essential hands‑on experience, professional proficiency, and technical competence, creating well-rounded engineers ready for both national and global practice.
Global Recognition Through Mutual Recognition Agreements
COREN’s strategy is aligned with its provisional signatory status to the Washington Accord in 2023, positioning Nigeria as the second African nation after South Africa to join this elite agreement. Participation in ERP is a foundational requirement under COREN’s Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with jurisdictions across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
This alignment ensures Nigerian graduates meet internationally accepted standards for full professional registration, mobility, and career advancement. The ERP mirrors similar residency or internship structures in medicine, law, pharmacy, and other regulated professions.
Legislative Support & Stakeholder Collaboration
Importantly, COREN is seeking parliamentary backing to embed the ERP sustainably. As part of this, a proposal is being submitted to amend the Engineers (Registration, etc.) Act No. 3 of 2018. This would legally empower the council to include ERP under its core mandate—alongside provisions for admission quotas, infrastructure insurance, and remedial sanctions.
A dedicated national task force—including COREN, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and engineering professional bodies—will be inaugurated at the Assembly.
Senator Iyiola Omisore, a former APC National Secretary, has been appointed as chairman to lead strategic advocacy, funding mobilization, and nationwide awareness campaigns.
Empowering Graduates: Monthly Stipend & Support
COREN acknowledges the financial challenges inherent in adding another pre-career year. To mitigate this, the council proposes a monthly stipend of ₦75,000 per resident throughout the ERP. Funding frameworks are being formalised through collaboration with government, corporate sponsors, and institutional financiers, ensuring stable and uninterrupted grants.
This stipend, though modest, will offer crucial financial cushioning while residents refine their competencies in real-world settings.
Enforcing Professional Membership & Licensure
Under the new structure, completing the two‑year ERP + NYSC period becomes mandatory for COREN registration as a professional engineer or engineering technologist. The council is also strengthening annual license renewals, now incorporating professional development course requirements vetted by a new Engineering Professional Examination Committee with delegates from NSE, NATE, NiSET, and NAEC.
These mechanisms aim to maintain high professional standards, deter quackery, and guarantee career progression through ongoing learning and demonstrated skills.
Academic Alignment & Curriculum Review
In a collaborative initiative, COREN will partner with NUC and NBTE for joint accreditation of engineering programmes in universities and polytechnics. This ensures quality education, industry relevance, and international standards like those in Washington, Sydney, and Dublin Accords.
Additionally, COREN is engaging with JAMB to oversee student admissions into engineering departments, safeguarding admission quotas and qualification standards at entry-point levels.
Decentralised Oversight: Regional Hubs & Sector Reach
To expand its regulatory presence, COREN has set up seven regional offices in Enugu, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Abuja, Gombe, and Lagos (a special hub). These centres will:
- Ensure compliance across 11 key sectors (oil & gas, telecommunications, construction, aviation, maritime, manufacturing, mining, biomedical, agro-allied, etc.)
- Accredit artisanal training under the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)
- Register technologists, technicians, craftsmen, and artisans
Ongoing decentralisation enhances responsiveness, inclusion, and practical oversight of engineering standards nationwide.
Fair Remuneration: ECOPASS Review
Another highlight of the Assembly will be the introductory review of ECOPASS (Engineering Compensation and Professional Scale Structure)—a revamped remuneration schedule for engineers, technologists, and technicians across public and private sectors.
The framework covers hourly, daily, and monthly pay rates, addressing critical motivation, skill retention, and quackery control. COREN tracking foreign currency payments to expatriate contractors, seeks pay parity that retains domestic talent.
By setting transparent baseline compensation across disciplines, the council argues this is essential to protect the profession and Nigeria’s infrastructure.
Building a Culture of Lifelong Development
To register or renew a license, practitioners will now be required to earn Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDU). This ongoing education model is overseen by COREN’s newly formed Engineering Professional Examination Committee, comprising leaders from NSE, NATE, NiSET, and NAEC.
This shift reflects international best practices, ensuring Nigerian engineers remain dynamic, adaptable, and compliant with evolving technologies and standards.
Safeguarding Professionalism & Public Safety
In light of recurring infrastructure failures—including building collapses and structural lapses—COREN continues to advocate for professional integrity and accountability.
By tying remuneration to qualifications, enforcing professional development, and requiring post-graduation training, the council aims to elevate practice quality and reduce risk to life and property.
The 33rd COREN Engineering Assembly
Themed “Advancing Quality Engineering Services and Businesses in Nigeria: Professional Compliance and Remuneration,” the Assembly will bring together over 10 million stakeholders—including engineers, technologists, technicians, craftsmen, artisans, industry leaders, academia, policymakers, and development partners.
Key highlights:
- Keynote Address by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice President
- Panel discussions led by Senator Iyiola Omisore, regulators, professionals, academics
- Launch and inauguration of the ERP Task Force
- Sectoral dialogues on remuneration, licensure, safety, and accreditation
- Technical workshops and engineering family forums
The Assembly is widely expected to deepen the ERP, ECOPASS, accreditation, and legislative discussions.
Transforming Nigerian Engineering: What Success Will Require
- Sustainable Funding – Government, ITF, private sector, and development partners must commit to long-term resources.
- Legal Endorsement – The Engineers Act requires updating to securely embed ERP and its benefits.
- Institutional Cooperation – Strong collaboration between COREN, NUC, NBTE, JAMB, and professional bodies.
- Mentorship Culture – Senior engineers must actively mentor ERP participants, facilitating a knowledge transfer mindset.
- Monitoring & Evaluation – The task force needs to track placements, performance, stipend payment, and employment outcomes.
- Public Support & Awareness – Engineers, families, and recruiters need clarity on ERP significance and aspirations.
A New Era for Engineering in Nigeria
This comprehensive reform agenda signals Nigeria is gearing up to unleash a critical mass of professionally trained, globally competitive engineers—individuals equipped to build robust infrastructure, safeguard public safety, and drive economic transformation.
If operationalized effectively, the COREN Engineering Residency Programme could become a model for cascading professionalism across Africa.
Final Thoughts
COREN’s revitalised Engineering Residency Programme redefines what it means to be an engineer in Nigeria. Combining practical training, stipend support, legislative backing, licensure rigour, and remuneration clarity, the Programme has the potential to embed quality, safety, and accountability at the heart of engineering practice.
As Nigeria’s economy pushes forward, this initiative may well become its structural bedrock—laying the foundations for infrastructure that lasts and engineers who endure.
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