Tinubu orders tougher engineering regulation to prevent infrastructure failures

President Bola Tinubu has mandated a significant overhaul of engineering regulation in Nigeria, directing the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) to bolster enforcement and impose stricter sanctions on practitioners responsible for infrastructure failures. The directive aims to curb preventable engineering mishaps that have led to fatalities, property damage, and substantial financial losses, eroding public confidence in national infrastructure.

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Engineering is not only about roads, bridges, buildings, dams, power systems and digital infrastructure. It includes the safety of the child walking to school, the trader travelling to the market, the patient being rushed to hospital and every Nigerian who depends on public infrastructure.

Represented by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, at the 34th Engineering Assembly in Abuja, President Tinubu underscored the critical role of engineering in national development. He stated that the profession's scope extends beyond physical structures to encompass the safety of all citizens, from schoolchildren to commuters. "Engineering failures translate into loss of lives, destruction of property, wasted investments and diminished public confidence," Tinubu asserted, emphasizing that "Public safety must therefore remain the first principle of engineering practice."

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Engineering failures translate into loss of lives, destruction of property, wasted investments and diminished public confidence. Public safety must therefore remain the first principle of engineering practice.

The President highlighted COREN's pivotal position in safeguarding the public from substandard engineering work and ensuring professional accountability. He urged a shift in perception, viewing regulation not as punitive but as a protective mechanism for the public, clients, government, and investors. "No road, bridge or building is more valuable than human life," he declared, reinforcing the administration's commitment to durable infrastructure under its Renewed Hope Agenda.

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Regulation should not be seen as punishment. Regulation is protection. It protects the public from incompetence, clients from poor delivery, government from waste, investors from failed infrastructure and, most importantly, it protects lives.

The assembly, themed "Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement and a Tiered Sanction Regime," convened stakeholders to devise strategies for enhancing engineering governance and infrastructure quality. Tinubu's directive signals a move towards a regulatory system driven by prevention, compliance, and accountability, ensuring that infrastructure projects are not only built but also maintained to the highest safety standards throughout their lifecycle.

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No road, bridge or building is more valuable than human life.