2 months ago
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The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has called for enhanced collaboration among engineering professionals to tackle the ongoing issue of engineering failures in the country.
He made this appeal during the opening ceremony of the 32nd Engineering Assembly, organised by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, on Tuesday.
Speaking at the event in Abuja, the Minister highlighted the crucial role that engineering plays in housing and urban development, stressing the need for rigorous regulation to prevent infrastructural failures.
“Engineering is a key part of the housing development process. At the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, we rely heavily on the expertise of our structural engineers, electrical engineers, civil engineers, and mechanical engineers, all of whom are registered members of COREN. Their work is vital to achieving our goals for affordable housing and sustainable urban development,” the Minister stated.
He acknowledged that although COREN does not fall directly under the supervision of his Ministry, it remains one of its most important regulatory partners.
He underscored the significance of the standards and professional ethics enforced by COREN in ensuring the quality, safety, and resilience of housing and infrastructure projects across Nigeria.
“The standards COREN sets and the professional ethics it enforces are crucial to ensuring the quality, safety, and resilience of housing and infrastructure projects across the nation,” he said.
The Minister expressed concern over the frequent occurrences of engineering failures, particularly building collapses, which have plagued the country.
He highlighted COREN’s efforts to mitigate these issues, including the establishment of regional offices and additional technical departments to enhance regulatory activities across various sectors of the economy.
“COREN has expanded its regulatory activities to cover many critical sectors of the economy, including Oil & Gas, Power, Mining, Communication, Construction/Building, Maritime, Aviation and Aerospace, Agro-Allied, Manufacturing, and Transportation, among others, for effective delivery on the Council’s mandate,” Dangiwa explained.
In his remarks, Dangiwa congratulated COREN for its proactive measures in addressing the challenges within the built environment, especially concerning building collapses.
He commended the Council’s initiatives, such as the training, certification, and licensing of Engineering Regulation Monitoring Inspectors, the establishment of an Engineering Investigating Panel in each region, and the creation of a Disciplinary Tribunal for professionals found guilty of misconduct.
“The Federal Ministry of Housing & Urban Development appreciates COREN’s contribution in developing a checklist to provide verifiable complete documentation of the construction process, which allows for tracking actions or inactions to establish culpability in building collapses in Nigeria,” he said.
Dangiwa also referenced a recent meeting organised by the Ministry on 8 August 2024, which brought together key stakeholders in the built environment to consider a roadmap for addressing the frequent collapse of buildings in the country.
He emphasised the importance of synergy, teamwork, and information sharing among professionals to enable proactive measures against potential engineering failures.
“The Ministry is poised to promote synergy, teamwork, and the sharing of useful information to enable whistleblowing on all building projects or distressed buildings so that proactive steps can be taken to prevent the rampant and avoidable menace,” he stressed.
In his closing remarks, the Minister urged the engineering community to use the assembly as an opportunity to reflect on the current challenges and collaborate in finding sustainable solutions.
“This year’s event provides a unique opportunity to address the persistent challenges of engineering failures. It also offers us an opportunity to reflect on the present realities which engineering must find solutions to,” Dangiwa added.
