By Angela Atabo
The 35th President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE),Ali Rabiu, has expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, calling for the full enforcement of Engineering laws.
Rabiu made the call at his Investiture Ceremony as the 35th President of NSE on Saturday in Abuja.
He described the recently introduced “Buy Nigeria First “policy introduced through the Bureau of Public Procurement, as a transformative initiative capable of positioning Nigeria as a true giant of Africa if faithfully implemented.
He said that it aligned squarely with the existing legal frameworks such as the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Act 2018 (as amended) and Executive Order 5.
Rabiu added, “However, it may shock Mr. President to know that MDAs, especially infrastructure-related Ministries such as the Federal Ministries of Works, Power, Water Resources, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration, have largely observed these laws in the breach.
“Projects running into trillions of naira are being executed across Nigeria, both by the Federal Government and the state governments, without the involvement of Nigerian engineering professionals.
“Mr President may also wish to be informed that MDAs are mandated to ensure that, before the award of any contract, Nigerian counterpart staff are engaged from the conception stage to the completion of the project.
“It is pertinent to also inform Mr. President that engineering training and practice is regulated by the COREN Act, and that the Council is under the supervision of the Minister responsible for Works. But the arrangement appears to have become an albatross.”
Rabiu explained that contrary to well-established global practice, contracts were awarded and executed without the clear involvement of competent engineering consultants.
He said the practice of engaging external consultants to design, supervise, and provide independent professional opinions in public infrastructure delivery was globally accepted as best practice and Nigeria could not be different.
Rabiu added,“At present, Ministries implement public projects as employers, designers, supervisors, and payers. This concentration of roles largely explains why many of our projects are delivered with poor quality and at high cost.”
He, therefore, pleaded with Tinubu to direct and compel the Ministers of Works, Power, Water Resources, and the Federal Capital Territory to, as a matter of urgency, implement the “Buy Nigeria First” policy.
He also appealed that they should engage competent Nigerian consultants in the design, supervision, and certification of all projects costing over 500 million naira.
Rabiu argued that the “Buy Nigeria First” policy was already being implemented in other professions, citing the legal sector where external lawyers are engaged by the Ministry of Justice, and the accounting profession where MDAs are required to use external auditors for statutory audits.
According to him, there is no justification for treating engineering the backbone of infrastructure delivery differently.
“This is more than a policy; it is a professional obligation and a national opportunity. Let us engineers not sit back and observe.
“Let us rise, contribute, and ensure that Nigerian solutions, delivered by Nigerian engineers, shape the Nigerian future.”he urged.
Rabiu said his administration would be guided by the NSE Strategic Document, a newly approved 10-year blueprint designed to reposition the society as a central force in Nigeria’s development.
He also outlined five strategic pillars that would anchor his administration which included: Membership Development, Strategic Partnerships, International Relations, Community Impact, and Institutional Branding.
On education and skills development, the NSE President welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement on the upgrade and inauguration of 38 technical colleges, describing it as a bold step toward rebuilding Nigeria’s skills base.
He said the initiative aligned with the NSE’s long-standing advocacy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a solution to skills gaps, youth unemployment and dependence on foreign technical labour.
Rabiu disclosed that the NSE is ready to collaborate with the Federal Government to deepen the impact of the programme, saying that the Society had already mobilised its Young Engineers’ Forum to provide pro bono, curriculum-aligned support services around the new technical colleges.
He added that formal engagement channels would be established with the Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and other stakeholders to ensure sustainability and measurable outcomes.
The NSE president also stressed the importance of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), describing it as a non-negotiable element of engineering practice.
He expressed concern over gaps in institutional capacity among Nigerian engineers and called for a structured, dynamic CPD framework that promotes lifelong learning, specialisation, innovation and digital competence.
Rabiu announced plans to strengthen engineers’ involvement in national planning and budgeting through the establishment of an NSE National Budget Review Committee to provide technical input into annual budget proposals on infrastructure and technology-driven development.
Rabiu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusion through support for Women in Engineering Programmes in collaboration with the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), and the repositioning of the Young Engineers Forum of Nigeria (YEFoN) as a platform for leadership development and innovation.
Other initiatives outlined included reforms to the NSE Fellowship process,establishment of an in-house NSE Printing Press, the launch of an annual National Construction Exhibition, and the creation of a dedicated Fellows’ Lounge at the NSE National Headquarters.
The NSE president said the initiatives reflected his administration’s resolve to strengthen the profession, improve standards and reposition Nigerian engineers as key drivers of national development.
He commended the members of NSE ,COREN ,mentors, family and friends for supporting to become the 35th president of NSE and promised to reset the society for national transformation.
Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani
