The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, has declared open the North-East Regional Engineering Stakeholders’ Summit/Seminar and the Inauguration of the North-East Regional Steering Committee (NERSC) of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) held at the International Conference Centre, Gombe.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Jatau expressed gratitude to God for the successful hosting of the summit and appreciated COREN for choosing Gombe as the venue, describing the decision as “a welcome and highly beneficial development” to the people of the state.
He noted that the summit was timely considering the infrastructural challenges caused by insurgency and natural disasters in the North-East region. He said “The North-East geo-political zone has suffered destruction of buildings, roads, bridges, and communication infrastructure by bandits, terrorists, and insurgents. However, I am confident that this summit will provide practical solutions and strengthen the engineering capacity needed for rehabilitation and reconstruction.”
The Deputy Governor lamented the low ratio of engineers to Nigeria’s population, with only 85,179 registered engineers serving a population of about 232.7 million, translating to one engineer for every 2,732 people. He urged COREN to promote engineering studies among students from the primary to tertiary levels and collaborate with more universities to introduce engineering programmes.
Dr. Jatau also commended North-East engineers for maintaining high standards, noting the region’s minimal cases of building collapses. He called on COREN and stakeholders to ensure full implementation of resolutions reached at the summit to promote sustainability, resilience, and innovation in the profession.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the North-East Regional Steering Committee, Engr. Muhammad Lawan Abdullahi, said the formation of regional committees was part of COREN’s decentralisation strategy to strengthen regulation and monitoring of engineering practices across Nigeria. He emphasised that “no region can achieve meaningful development without engineering,” and thanked the COREN leadership for their commitment to professional excellence.
In his keynote address, the President of COREN, Engr. Prof. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar, FNSE, FAEng, outlined the Council’s major reforms under its new operational framework guided by the Engineers (Registration, and others) Act 2018. He announced the creation of seven regional and 37 state offices to enhance regulatory efficiency at the grassroots.
Prof. Abubakar highlighted key components of the COREN Roadmap for Engineering Transformation, which include institutional restructuring with three new departments—Planning, Research & Statistics (PRS), Quality Assurance & Compliance, and Corporate Advancement & Public Affairs. He also mentioned the strengthening of engineering education through the adoption of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) in universities, polytechnics, and technical colleges; the introduction of a Mandatory Engineering Residency Programme (ERP) for graduates before NYSC to bridge the academia-industry gap; and the expansion of Engineering Regulation, Monitoring, and Enforcement (ERM&E) to 11 key sectors including energy, transport, construction, and telecommunications. He added that the institutionalisation of Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (MCPD) and financial sustainability strategies will further enhance competence, ethics, and innovation within the profession.
He emphasised that the Regional Steering Committees will serve as key regulatory hubs to ensure compliance, technical oversight, and stakeholder engagement, adding that “together, we will reshape engineering practice and make Nigerian engineers globally competitive.”
The Registrar of COREN, Engr. Prof. O.A.U. Uche, in his remarks, described the ongoing reforms as “transformational and not just administrative,” stressing that the Council’s decentralisation, mandatory residency training, and emphasis on continuous professional development are designed to align Nigerian engineering practice with international standards. He reaffirmed COREN’s commitment to collaboration with state governments, industries, and academia to advance national development through engineering innovation.
The Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Mohammed Luggerewo, assured the gathering of legislative backing for engineering activities in the state. He praised Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration for embarking on infrastructural projects such as the construction of the three-arm zone, roads, schools, and the facelift of the Government House and Emir’s Council Secretariat among others.
Representatives of the Governors of Bauchi and Borno States—Prof. Titus Ketkuka and Engr. Mohammed Ahmed Kabiru Walori respectively—commended COREN for organising the timely summit and pledged their governments’ collaboration with the Council to ensure quality infrastructure in line with global standards.
The Mai of Kaltungo, Engr. Saleh Mohammed, in his goodwill message, urged engineers to prioritise safety in their work, sharing his personal experience of surviving three air crashes while serving as an aeronautical engineer.
The two-day event, which attracted engineers, policymakers, academics, and industry stakeholders, focused on strengthening regulatory practices, promoting ethical engineering, and enhancing the region’s infrastructural resilience.
Present at the occasion were Honourable Commissioners, Heads of parastatal and security agencies.
Jack. A.Tasha
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity,
(Deputy Governor’s Office)
