President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday directed the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria to strengthen engineering regulation, tighten enforcement and impose proportionate sanctions on erring practitioners to curb infrastructure failures and safeguard public safety.
The President said Nigeria could no longer afford preventable engineering failures that result in deaths, destruction of property, wasted public funds and declining confidence in infrastructure, stressing that regulation must shift from a reactive system to one driven by prevention, compliance and accountability.
Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated this while declaring open the 34th Engineering Assembly of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria in Abuja.
The assembly, themed “Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement and a Tiered Sanction Regime,” brought together government officials, regulators, engineers, academics and industry leaders to examine strategies for strengthening engineering governance and improving infrastructure quality across the country.
Declaring the event open, the President described engineering as the foundation of national development, saying the profession extends beyond constructing roads, bridges and buildings to protecting human lives.
He said, “Engineering is not only about roads, bridges, buildings, dams, power systems and digital infrastructure. It includes the safety of the child walking to school, the trader travelling to the market, the patient being rushed to hospital and every Nigerian who depends on public infrastructure.
“Engineering failures translate into loss of lives, destruction of property, wasted investments and diminished public confidence. Public safety must therefore remain the first principle of engineering practice.”
Tinubu said COREN occupies a strategic position as Nigeria’s engineering regulator because it protects citizens from substandard engineering works and ensures professional accountability.
According to him, regulation should not be perceived as punishment but as a mechanism for protecting lives and investments.
He said, “Regulation should not be seen as punishment. Regulation is protection. It protects the public from incompetence, clients from poor delivery, government from waste, investors from failed infrastructure and, most importantly, it protects lives.
“No road, bridge or building is more valuable than human life.”
The President said effective engineering regulation must cover the entire lifecycle of infrastructure projects, beginning with planning and design through construction, supervision, maintenance and eventual decommissioning.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering durable infrastructure under the Renewed Hope Agenda, highlighting the administration’s ongoing Legacy Road Projects across the six geopolitical zones.
Tinubu said, unlike previous projects that deteriorated within a few years, the current administration was constructing roads designed to last for decades.
“Every road project that we are doing has a lifespan of between 50 and 100 years. This is a complete departure from previous practice, where most roads never lasted up to five years.
“Our administration remains committed to delivering quality infrastructure that will stand the test of time and support economic development,” he said.
The President added that Nigeria required “a balanced system of strong regulation, fair enforcement and proportionate sanctions” capable of promoting engineering excellence while guaranteeing public safety.
Umahi warned engineers supervising construction projects not to compromise professional ethics by allowing contractors to dictate engineering decisions.
He noted that engineering mistakes often have irreversible consequences because lives are usually lost whenever infrastructure collapses.
He therefore urged COREN to strengthen its disciplinary mechanisms and ensure that only qualified engineers are allowed to practise.
He said, “Engineering is one profession where mistakes can cost human lives. Unlike many other professions, there is often no opportunity for appeal after structural failure.
“Site engineers must discharge their responsibilities professionally and should never allow contractors to dictate engineering decisions. COREN must strengthen its disciplinary mechanisms to ensure that only qualified professionals practise engineering in Nigeria.”
Earlier, the President of COREN, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, said the assembly’s theme reflected the council’s statutory responsibility to protect Nigerians through effective engineering regulation.
He observed that engineering failures frequently have devastating consequences for lives and the economy, making proactive regulation more important than ever.
According to him, COREN has shifted its attention towards predictive regulation that identifies risks before infrastructure fails.
He said, “We must move from reactive regulation to predictive and preventive engineering governance.
“Engineering failures are preventable where there is effective regulation, professional competence, ethical practice and accountability.”
Abubakar disclosed that the council had recorded significant achievements in engineering education and regulation.
According to him, COREN collaborated with the National Universities Commission and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to introduce admission quotas for engineering programmes in order to improve training quality.
He added that the council had intensified compliance inspections on infrastructure projects nationwide, strengthened enforcement against unsafe engineering practices, expanded digital registration and verification systems, and introduced engineering intelligence for risk-based regulation.
Despite the progress, Abubakar identified quackery, weak enforcement, poor compliance with engineering standards, deteriorating infrastructure and rapid technological changes as major challenges confronting the profession.
Also speaking, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, represented by the company’s Chief Economist, Prof. Hassan Mahmoud, said engineering excellence had become critical to Nigeria’s industrialisation drive and economic competitiveness.
Drawing lessons from the construction of the Dangote Refinery, he said engineering discipline, strict quality control and adherence to standards were embedded throughout the project.
Dangote maintained that good engineering regulation should anticipate risks instead of merely responding after failures occur.
He said, “Good regulation is an investment enabler. Countries that attract long-term capital are those where investors trust engineering standards because quality engineering reduces risk and life-cycle costs.
“The cost of maintaining high engineering standards is insignificant compared to the economic and human consequences of engineering failures.”
He advocated a transparent sanctioning system that distinguishes between administrative lapses, professional negligence and deliberate misconduct while maintaining zero tolerance for repeated violations that endanger public safety.
Dangote also urged regulators to address institutional weaknesses, including poor procurement practices, political interference and disregard for professional advice, saying those issues were often responsible for infrastructure failures.
Nigeria has witnessed repeated cases of collapsed buildings, failed roads, bridge defects and other infrastructure failures over the years, leading to deaths, injuries and huge economic losses.
The Federal Government has repeatedly blamed many of the incidents on poor engineering practices, the use of substandard materials, inadequate supervision and the activities of unqualified practitioners.
Established by Act 55 of 1970, COREN is the statutory body responsible for regulating engineering education and practice in Nigeria. The council registers engineering professionals, monitors compliance with engineering standards, investigates professional misconduct and promotes best practices aimed at protecting lives and ensuring safe infrastructure delivery.
At this year’s assembly, stakeholders resolved that strengthening engineering regulation, expanding digital compliance systems, improving professional ethics and enforcing proportionate sanctions would be critical to reducing infrastructure failures and supporting sustainable national development.
