The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has inaugurated a National Technical Committee to address the issue of infrastructure failure in the country.
The committee’s inauguration was a response to the call on COREN to address the failures of engineering infrastructure across the country, a statement said.
“The committee will drive the engineering regulations monitoring at the national level, similar to the existing practice at regional and state levels. This will ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of engineering regulations to prevent infrastructure failures,” Abubakar Sadiq, president of COREN said.
He said the council has pledged its support in resolving infrastructure problems and is actively working to enhance the capabilities of its members to tackle these challenges effectively.
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“The ERM inspectors will be supported by the Engineering Intelligence and Surveillance Task Force and EIS Whistle Blowers operating at national, regional, and state levels. This will ensure that quacks and offenders are brought to book, and sanity is restored to the practice of engineering in Nigeria,” he added.
Infrastructure failure encompasses the collapse, malfunction, or deterioration of critical systems like buildings, bridges, roads, water supply, power generation, communication networks, transportation systems, dams, and public health infrastructure, often caused by factors, such as poor design, inadequate maintenance, and natural disasters, human error, material failure, corrosion, overloading, and ageing infrastructure.
“Nigeria experienced repeated building failures. To address this, the National Technical Committee will enforce construction regulations and ensure only qualified professionals work on projects,” Abubakar added.
The COREN president emphasised that the committee’s intervention would help prevent infrastructure failure by ensuring that only qualified engineers are engaged in construction projects.
“We are determined to restore public trust in the engineering profession. With this committee in place, we can assure Nigerians that we are doing everything possible to prevent infrastructure failures and ensure public safety,” Abubakar said.
