COREN, NSE collaborate to end quackery

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) have collaborated to end quackery in engineering fields in the country.

Engr. Ali Rabiu, President of COREN, who made this known at the induction of new members of the Nigerian Association of Engineering Craftsmen (NAEC) in Abuja, said the event marked the beginning of coordinated efforts to reduce quackery in the field of engineering.

He stressed that COREN intends to eliminate quackery in the engineering fields in the country to improve service delivery.

“At the same time, we take cognizance of people who were not able to go to school but learnt work from qualified persons. You know that there are people that are working in government establishments and even industries, they have been working for more than 25 years but they are not certified.

“Such people, you know they have the experience but the certification is what is more important. Such people, we encourage them to have trade test from the Federal Ministry of Labour, to have a minimum of Grade 3, 2, and 1, that will qualify them to be registered,” he explained.

Also speaking at the occasion, Engr. Babagana Mohammed, President of NSE, said the fight to eliminate quackery in the nation’s engineering fields has begun with the induction exercise.

“We have just inducted 333 artisans and this means we are fighting quackery at the very lowest level. It means we are giving our people skills,” he said.

He noted that those inducted already had skills but did not have certificates, stressing that NSE would collaborate with NAEC to provide extra trainings for them to qualify and take responsibilities for the certificates obtained through the organisation.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on his part, said NAEC had an important role to play in the technological advancement of the country.

He said the craftsmen and artisans were the ones who transformed the designs of engineering to practical reality.