By Angela Atabo

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance collaboration in engineering regulation in the power sector.

The President of COREN, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, at the signing of the MoU on Monday in Abuja, said the pact aimed to promote synergy in the regulation of engineering practices in the power sector.

Abubakar said COREN, in the last 55 years, had the burden of regulating engineering alone in this country.

“We did our best, but as Nigeria evolved and developed to catch up with the evolution of engineering.

“Nigeria also was very alive in establishing regulators that will man the subsectors of the economy.

“One of the key sub sectors of our economy is the power sector. We saw the establishment of at least two credible regulators in the power sector, which are NEC and NEMSA, that have been assigned some aspect of what COREN was assigned 50 years ago.

“So COREN needs to go out there and establish synergy and working relationships to be able to identify the regulatory gaps and fill them.”

According to Abubakar, Nigeria has about 32 regulators in various sectors, and COREN was working to establish synergy with them and not to work in silos or see each other as rivals.

Abubakar said the aim was to create a very robust regulatory ecosystem in Nigeria.

The president said that Nigeria would get value for money, resilient infrastructure, reliable services, competent practitioners and firms that have been certified before they can undertake services.

He commended NEMSA for the partnership, adding that the MoU signalled synergy and COREN would extend an invitation to NEMSA to participate in the area of regulation in the power sector.

Abubakar listed areas of partnership to include the code and standard committee, the engineering, regulation, monitoring and enforcement committee, investigation and inspection, and the disciplinary tribunal, among others.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEMSA, Engr Aliyu Tahir, said NEMSA was established with the statutory mandate to enforce technical standards and regulations in the power sector.

Tahir, who is also the Electrical Inspector of the Federation, said NEMSA is also saddled with the responsibility to carry out electrical inspections, testing and certification of all categories of electrical installations, meters and equipment geared towards safety safeguarding lives and properties.

He said to achieve the mandate effectively, NEMSA is empowered to collaborate with relevant agencies and stakeholders.

“Today’s MoU with COREN is therefore a significant milestone, one that formalises a strategic partnership essential to our shared goals.

“This collaboration will offer numerous mutual benefits, like reinforcing the requirement for all personnel and firms applying for NEMSA certification to be duly registered with COREN for professional accountability and competence.

“It will facilitate the exchange of data on disciplinary actions and sanctions and uphold standards by enhancing the quality of certification and practices with the renewable energy and broader electrical engineering sectors.

“It will promote skilled manpower development and engage stakeholders to address engineering challenges and also ensure COREN is actively represented in NEMSA’s competency certification panels,” he said.

Tahir said the partnership would foster transparency, fairness and shared responsibility in the certification process.

“It is my firm belief that this MoU will foster a robust and mutually beneficial relationship between the two institutions.

“Through this partnership, we will be better positioned to deliver our respective mandates, most importantly the protection of lives and property within the Nigerian electricity supply industry and beyond.”

The COREN Registrar, Prof. Okorie Uche, said that quacks were taking over engineering jobs because people do not actually recognise who is a quack because everybody answers ‘engineer’.

“At the end of the day, once there is a collapse in any place, people will start saying, ‘Oh, Nigerian engineer,’ but when you find out those who are actually involved are not licensed, they are quacks.

“So COREN has established 11 sectors that we are setting our vernaculars to ensure that we are doing our job, and we will collaborate to ensure these gaps are covered; others will follow.

“I want to bet you Nigeria will be better for it because the quacks will definitely be cleared for the real people who will do the right thing to participate. (NAN)

Edited by Peter Amine