Nigeria’s agency for the regulation of Engineering says it is working out modalities for implementing the new law which empowers it to sanction any Nigerian found contributing to building collapse in the country.
The agency insists its members are not responsible for the spate of collapsed building, as it is the work of quacks who lack the basic skills in structural and infrastructural projects.
On the 22nd day of March, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the Engineers Registration Amendment) Act.
The amendment broadened the powers of the Council with far reaching powers of prosecution of infractions, and ensuring capacity building and monitoring of local content in the Nigerian Engineering sector.
Ahead of its 28th Engineering Assembly this year, the Council says it is determined to put an end to the increasing rate of building collapses across the country.
Between February and May this year, 29 people are recorded to have died from 13 building collapse incidents with 76 sustaining varying degrees of injury.
Lagos tops the list of states with the highest frequency of building collapses in the first half of 2019 and it is followed by Abia, Anambra and Oyo.
The Council is also disturbed by the causal effect of flood in parts of the country, particularly in Abuja where a Director was recently swept away during the rains.
With five of its members among the 43 ministerial nominees recently screened by the Nigerian Senate, the Council is hoping to see Engineers serving in their core areas of competence
The new law has enhanced the powers of the council to expand the scope and quality of its regulations, improve its sources of funds, strengthen its administration, enforce professional discipline and strengthen the definition and concept of the practice of engineering in Nigeria.
