The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigerian, COREN has elected Engr Ali Rabiu, FNSE as a new president. He will be taking over from the outgoing Engr Kashim Ali, whose tenure has witnessed massive accomplishments and culminated in the signing of Amended COREN Act by President Muhammadu Buhari administration. Also elected is Engr. Dr. U.Nwoji FNSE as the Vice President of the Council.
An accomplished practicing civil engineer and manager of resources and men, ENgr rabiu was born on April 24th April, 1963 in Lafia, Nasarawa State, he holds Higher National Diploma from Federal Polytechnic, Bida; Bachelor Degrees in Civil engineering from Bayero University University, Kano and also an MBA from same university and has attended local and international courses.
Cigarin Lafia, as he is fondly called is a former Vice President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE and has served the COREN Council in the past years. He has extensive experience in various aspects of Civil Engineering works particularly construction supervision and procurement services, spanning more than 30 years. He also had experience in management and policy making.
He has been responsible for, and involved in the design and supervision of several bridges, roads, concrete structures, water supply schemes, small dams, flood and erosion control works. He has also been involved in environmental sanitation projects and community development programmes.
Engr Rabiu’s professional career in engineering spanning over 30 years include: the Executive Partner, AR – AR Partnership, Consulting Engineering firm; Senior Engineer, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Project, Project Coordinator, Bayelsa State Infrastructural Development Programme; Project Manager, Hotoro South Erosion Control Project, Kano State, Project Manager, Oforachi Irrigation Project, Kogi State; Project Manager, World Bank – Assisted Nasarawa State Community Based Urban Development Project, Karu; Project Director, Nasarawa State Massive Programme on Road Construction to mention but few.
He is a COREN registered engineer and a Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), Fellow of Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (FNICE), Member, Nigerian Institute of Management (MNIM), Member, Nigerian Water & Sanitation Association (MNIWASA), Member, Association of Consulting Engineers, Nigeria (MACEN) among others.
He has served the nation in various capacities some of which are: Member, Presidential Monitoring Team on DFRRI Rural Water and Sanitation Programme, Sokoto and Kebbi States, Consultant/Member, House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on the investigation of flooding of the Goronyo Dam, Sokoto State, Member, Governing Council, Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, Kano State. Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Kano Branch, Chairman, Technical Committee to assess the damages/loses caused by Fire outbreak at Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi Market, Kano State, Vice – President, Nigerian Society of Engineers to mention but few.
For his many contributions to the Community and his novel works, he was honoured with the traditional title of Cigarin Lafia by HRH, Alh. Isa Mustapha Agwai 1, the Emir of Lafia. He has also received various awards and recognition both from professional circles and the society.
Engr Rabiu is coming at a crucial time engineering community is still revel in the passage of the amended COREN Act which gave far reaching power to the Council. The new leadership is expected to build on Engr Kashim Ali’s laudable achievements and also saddled with implementation of the Act and providing leadership to engineering family.
In a paper titled: “The Nigerian Engineer and National Development” he said
The Nigerian Engineer will be judged harshly by posterity if he fails to provide leadership for a Nation in dire need of leadership.
COREN is the constitutionally recognized body that regulate engineering in Nigeria. Established by decree 55 of 1970 and amended by Decree 27 of 1992, now the “Engineers (Registration, etc) Act, CAP E11 of 2004” Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Act establishes COREN as a statutory body of the Federal Government empowered to regulate the Practice of Engineering in all aspects and ramifications in Nigeria. The Decrees empowered the Council to regulate and control the training and practice of engineering in Nigeria and to ensure and enforce the registration of all engineering personnel (i.e. Engineers, Engineering Technologists, Engineering Technicians, and Engineering Craftsmen) and consulting firms wishing to practice or engage in the practice of engineering.
It Past presidents are:
- Engr. V. A. Haffner 1972 – 1972
- Engr. Prof. I. O. Oladapo 1974 – 1977
- Engr. (Chief) S.O. Fadahunsi 1977 – 1986
- Engr. A. O. Faluyi 1988 – 1991
- Engr. I. K. Inuwa 1991 – 1994
- Engr. Dr. M. A. Gulma 1994 – 2001
- Engr. E. B. Osoba 2001 – 2004
- Engr. H. A. Gumel 2004 – 2010
- Engr. Mustapha Bulama 2010 – 2012
- Engr. Ibikunle Ogunbayo 2012 – 2013
- Engr. Kashim A. Ali 2013 to 2019
- Engr Ali. A. Rabiu 2019 ……..
From us at MyEngineers, we say Congratulations and wishing you wisdom in taking the engineering to Next level.
Report by Isqil Najim
What does the future hold for the Nigerian Engineer? Ali Rabiu (Cigarin Lafia)
Engineering with NSPE started just 4 years before NSE. By the time you go through their books, in comparison with NSE, you would appreciate the fact that we have been sleeping and lame-duck for too long.
One factor that has led to this is our inability to distinguish between professionalism and materialism.
Another is the triumph of politics over competence.
We lower our standards to accommodate VIPs.
There should be functional definition for who an Ingenier is, not certificate or school of graduation. We are administrative and strategic inventors who utilizes the tactical skills of our subordinates to realize technology development. A Welder can weld for 100 years but needs an Ingenier to administer him on how to use his welding skill and experience to build a submarine and other exotic, or unknown, technologies.
PGD in Engineering should either be scrapped or upgraded to a 3year HND-Bachelor’s Degree conversion programme to include courses like Logic&Philosophy, Advanced Level Science and Mathematics Foundation, etc, but exemption of SIWES.
It should be known that our misunderstanding the profession has made us to drift off-course for too long.
We should be strict with the profession and stop deceiving ourselves that Bachelor’s Degree is the same with HND in Engineering. This partly explains why we stunted for too longer. Your HND background is not in doubt but we must put sentiment aside if we must get it right.
The one, and only way, Nigerian Ingeniers will match her peers in other climes is to be declared solely responsible for any accidents and incidents that results in death, injury, or permanent handicap, environmental degradation, etc, as a result of technology related activities and as such should be responsible for making regulations that guides such and allied activities.
Finally; our over-rating the Law profession has rather made us into mere machines than rational humans. The Philosophy of both professions are not the same. For instance; normal National Assembly, due to our level of Technology Readiness, cannot make laws for Engineering but they can for Law.
I hope your tenure will not be another case of “Methusela lived 969 years”.
Congratulations Cigarin Lafia. More wisdom as you pilot the affairs of Nigeria Engineers.
Congratulation Engr.Aliu A Rabiu, and Engr.Dr Uchenna Nwoji as the President and Vice President. I believe that with you in your new position,you will represent us all and will move Us to the next level…
More grace and more wisdom.
Congrats