Northern Pulse: COREN Inducts 200 AFIT Engineering graduates, emphasises global standards, professional ethics

By Mohammad Tijjani

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria has inducted 200 engineering graduates of the Air Force Institute of Technology, urging them to uphold global standards and professional ethics in the discharge of their duties.

Speaking at the oath-taking and induction ceremony in Kaduna on Thursday, the COREN President, Sadiq Abubakar, represented by the Registrar, Okorie Uche, said the induction marked the formal admission of the graduates into the engineering profession.

Abubakar noted that Nigeria currently has about 114 universities offering over 500 engineering programmes, with the capacity to produce more than 10,000 graduates annually.

He, however, stressed the need to ensure that graduates are properly trained, skilled, and compliant with global best practices.

“The key question is how competent and industry-ready these graduates are, and whether they have undergone the required processes from admission to graduation, including mentorship and internship,” he said.

The COREN president explained that the council had developed a comprehensive checklist aligned with international benchmarks to guide engineering education and practice in Nigeria.

He listed the measures to include regulation of admission quotas, student indexing, adoption of a 10-semester structure, mandatory internship programmes, and continuous professional development.

According to him, other requirements include oath-taking, licensing, and annual renewal of practising certificates to ensure professionalism and accountability in the field.

Abubakar added that COREN had also established committees across universities, polytechnics, and technical colleges to strengthen quality assurance and align engineering education with global standards.

He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to sustaining international benchmarks such as the Washington Accord and Sydney Accord in Nigeria’s engineering education system.

In his remarks, the Commandant of AFIT, AVM Adeniran Ademuwagun, charged the graduates to be worthy ambassadors of the institution and uphold good character in their professional careers.

Earlier, the Registrar of AFIT, Air Commodore Ibrahim Shehu, described the induction as a critical transition from academic training to professional practice.

Shehu said the ceremony signified the legal recognition of the graduates as engineers, noting that their certification carried the full weight of Nigerian law.

He urged the inductees to embrace integrity, professionalism, and responsibility, stressing that engineering decisions have direct implications on public safety.

“The oath you are about to take is a pledge of responsibility to society. Your work as engineers must reflect accuracy, safety, and ethical standards,” he said.

The registrar further encouraged the graduates to leverage the discipline and technical training acquired at AFIT to contribute meaningfully to national development.

He congratulated the inductees and urged them to be innovative, solution-driven, and committed to excellence in their chosen fields.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ceremony featured the administration of oath and formal induction of the graduates into the engineering profession.(NAN)