Construction in progress in Vosloorus, a large township in the south of Johannesburg: Infrastructure is a key challenge for most African countries today. (Photo Courtesy Chris Kirchhoff)

Abuja — Nigerian engineers have been recognised as having a central role to play in achieving a balanced economic development for Nigerian in the provision of basic infrastructure, roads, housing, water, electricity so as to ensure huge success of this administration.

Speaking recently at the opening ceremony of the 18th COREN Engineering Assembly held in Abuja, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua said that the Federal Government has recently committed huge resources in the road sector by awarding road contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of many roads traversing all the six geo-political zones of the country.

He added that Federal Government has also provided funds for the improvement of the power sector the success of which is dependent on the integrity of engineering personnel in the country.

"The Council for Regulations of Engineering in Nigeria has the power through its enabling law, to sanitise the engineering profession in its entirety. I therefore charge COREN to leave no stone unturned to ensure that only training is given to engineering students in our institutions of higher learning through its accreditation programme; that adequate hands-on experience is given to fresh graduates of Engineering through the supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE) and to ensure that only registered engineering personnel practice the profession and must do so in accordance with global best practices.

I am aware that the SITSE programme, designed to provide a one-year internship for fresh graduates of Engineering is yet to take off, four years after its approval of this scheme in providing functional engineers and engineering technologists to meet the need of the industry, the Federal Government will soon direct Federal Ministry of Works, Housing and Urban Development to ensure the take-off of this laudable scheme. The implementation of this scheme is overdue and it is my desire to see it on stream without further delay, " he said.