THE PRACTICE OF ENGINEERING PROFESSION: RELATIVE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ENGR. V. U. OKPALAUWAEKWE, (FNSE MNIM, FIMechE, ZLP C,Eng)

1.0

INTRODUCTION
1.1
The successful practice of engineering involves an interdependent team effort by a large
number of people of diverse degrees of skills and expertise. Individual members of the
team do aspects of technology or act their vocation/skills. Invariably such people are
considered or claim to be practising engineering and consider themselves as engineers.
1.2
In the United Kingdom there was a powerful Amalgamated Engineers Union of the
1950s and 1960s which was a union of fitters mates, welders, boiler-makers, machinists
and the like. Chartered engineers were barred from membership by professional ethics. In
the United States of America early in this century locomotive drivers were known and
styled as engineers. Also in Nigeria almost any one functioning in the field of engineering
ascribes to himself the title engineer. It is understandable because of the history of the
practice of engineering profession. In the early days, the practice of engineering was
more of a craft. In Nigeria, every craft, service, or vocation is termed as practicing
engineering. To make them noticeable they form unions.
1.3

Essentially it was concerned with the working materials such as wood, iron, bronze, stone
etc and rendering services. At the time, very little was known of the properties of these
materials and of course the quantities required of their products were limited.
Consequently the emphasis was on the skill of the practitioner and each product was so
skilfully engineered that the products were such prideful. With the advent of the
industrial revolution however, the need for mass production had been established and the
properties of materials were better known. Thus the practice of engineering became more
complex, need for specialisations became more prominent and the need to define roles
and responsibilities came obvious.

1.4

The practice of engineering as a profession requires team efforts and as in team no one
member need claim pre-eminence over other member.. Each member of the team needs
the other members to succeed and the teams success is synonymous with the success of
the individual. However, in assigning roles in a team one member of the team is
designated captain, or leader, or head. This is important since no team can function
efficiently without direction and leadership. The team leader provides the motivation for
clear direction and effectiveness. So it is with the practice of engineering. There are
members of the team and there is a team leader. Each one must be trained and prepared
for his role in the team. And it is only when such member of the team knows accepts and
plays his role well that the team, or in our case the practise of engineering, can succeed.

1.5

It is emphasized that this aspect of mutual respect by team members, whilst

simultaneously acknowledging followership and respect for the team leader, that the
engineering team is being described in this paper as a family. In a family, functions
overlap but in the practice of engineering profession there is hard and fast line drawn
between the work undertaken by the different members of the family. A child cannot be
allowed to take over the functions of the father until comes of age and acquires relevant
1

trainings and preparations. These appropriate preparations ,trainings and exposures call
for regulations, scoping and definition of interfaces of roles and limits of each member of
the engineering profession. This system model of the regulated activities of the members
of the engineering family is termed the practice of engineering profession.
2.0.0

DEFINITION OF CADRES OF TEAM MEMBERS

2.1.0

A general statement about the definition, roles and responsibilities of the cadres within the family
is necessary so as to guide the setting of standards, the specification of the academic and training
content of courses and to help judge whether the courses submitted for approval measure up to
the required standards.

2.2.0

COUNCIL FOR REGULATION OF ENGINEERING PRACTICE IN NIGERIA (COREN) has identified four
cadres in the practice of engineering in Nigeria. These are the engineer, the technologist, the
technician and the craftsman. I find the definitions of these cadres by the British Engineering
Council (1990) listed below very apt.

2.3.0

Engineer

2.4.0

2.3.1

An engineer is one who acquires and uses scientific, technical and other pertinent
knowledge and skills to create, operate or maintain , safe efficient systems, structures,
machines, plants, processes or devices of practical and economic values.

2.3.2

The work of an engineer is predominantly, original intellectual and varied works or proven
thoughts. It require the exercise of original thought and judgement concerning the
development of new systems and technologies, the ability to supervise the work of others
and in due time, the maturity to assume responsibility for the direction of important tasks,
including the profitable management of industrial and commercial enterprises. In these
works engineers have a responsibility to society with regards to the ethical, economical
and environmental impacts of technical needs and changes.

Engineering Technologist
2.4.1

2.5.0

Engineering technician
2.5.1

2.6.0

Fundamentally the nature of the posts occupied by technologists is such as to demand a

practical approach and detailed understanding of a particular technology in which the
scope /assignment works . They require specific and detailed efficient knowledge of the
bases and practices of current technology . They also need communication skills and
awareness of the environment beyond the limits of their specific responsibility.

Engineering technicians are competent by virtue of their educational training and practical
experiences to apply proven techniques and procedures to the solution of practical
problems with an element of personal responsibility, usually under the guidance of
engineers or engineering technologists.

Craftsman

2.6.1

The craftsman shall possess the skill to recognise and utilise engineering tools and
materials to produce,work, execute and maintain engineering plants and services.

3.0.0

QUALIFICATIONS OF CADRES

3.1.0

as earlier pointed out each cadre must be trained and prepared for the role it has to play within
the family. It is for this reason that specification of academic and training content of courses are
spelt out. And since the courses will be provided within the over-all context of the Nigerian
educational system, the courses must fit into existing course system. Hence each cadre is related
to a terminal qualification in Nigeria. It is a matter of choice, not by accident.
The course contents leading to a particular qualification have been carefully chosen to suit the
requirement of each cadre. Those seeking to make comparisons and equivalence should bear this
vital point in mind. The courses and their terminal qualifications are not designed for such
comparisons and/or equivalence. Each course and the terminal qualification to which it leads
serve a specific purpose. COREN has prescribed the following educational requirements for each
cadre.

3.2.0

The engineer
3.2.1

3.3.0

The engineer shall be a person who has an academic standard of education in engineering
science and holds a degree or equivalent qualification, following a course of studies in an
approved programme of a University or recognised institution. In general, holders of the
West African School Certificate at appropriate level (or its equivalent) in the approved
subjects shall be required to follow a minimum of five years programme. The completion
of this programme shall be followed by a minimum of two years training and relevant
work experience before registration after passing a formal professional
examination/interview.

The engineering technologist

3.3.1

the engineering technologist shall be a person who has attained a Higher National
Diploma or equivalent qualification from an institution offering an approved programme
of studies lasing a minimum period of twenty-one months including four months work
experience in an industry with facilities approved by COREN.

3.3.2

in general, qualification for admission in Federal and State Polytechnics and College of
Technology whose programmes have been properly structured for the nations objectives
into production of engineering technologists shall be the National Diploma or its
equivalent at appropriate level, followed by a minimum of two years relevant work
experience before registration after passing a formal professional interview.

3.4.0

The engineering technician

3.4.1

The technician shall be a person who has attained a standard of education and training in
engineering technology and hold a national Diploma or equivalent qualification from an
institution offering an approved programme of studies for a minimum period of twenty3

one months including four months of supervised work experience in an industry or similar
facility. In general, holders of the West African School Certificate at appropriate level shall
qualify for admission to federal or State polytechnics and colleges of technology whose
programmes have been properly structured for the nations objectives in the production
of technicians. The completion of this programme shall be followed by a minimum of two
years relevant work experience before registration after passing a formal professional
interview.

4.0.0

3.5.0

The craftsman

3.5.1

The craftsman shall be a person who has attained a standard of vocational education and
training in engineering technology and holds a certificate of practice obtained from an
institution offering an approved programme lasting a minimum period of three years,
including the needed theoretical education which is adequately supported by production
facilities. In general the entry requirements for the education comprising of primary six
plus a junior secondary school three years certificate. Certificates such as trade tests
,course c, city and guilgs and college testimonials are awarded and recognised

3.5.2

It bears repetition to state that each qualification is obtained after an approved

programme over a specified period of time. So it is mischievous for anyone to state that
it is discriminatory on the part of COREN not to accredit HND programmes as acceptable
qualification for a registered Engineer. The HND programme has not been designed as a
programme for registered engineers. However let this point not go unnoticed. These
programmes are not mutually exclusive. Thus avenues for transferring from one cadre to
another are readily available. The point being made is that it is possible for a young man
to start his career as a registered craftsman and end up much later in life as a registered
engineer. I think this is important. Any nations educational system should make provision
for slow starters or educationally disadvantaged ones. A system that stultifies the
growth of the actors within the system is oppressive and counter-productive. No one
should be permanently handicapped by lack of early educational opportunities.

ROLE OF CADRES
COREN has defined the various roles as follows:

4.1.0

The engineer
4.1.1

4.2.0

by his education and training the registered engineer shall have the ability to think in the
abstract and be able to synthesize view of events which are not obviously linked together
and demonstrate a sufficient degree of practical knowledge in order to limit himself to
theoretical reconsideration of plans, teaching, research, design and development of
products and projects and the professional guidance of others in the executing of projects
and in operation and maintenance of complex engineering plant, services and
establishments.

The engineering technologists

4.3.0

4.2.1

The registered engineering technologist performs technical duties of an established or

novel character either independently or under the general direction of a registered
engineer or scientist. He requires the power of logical thoughts and when in managerial
role the quality of leadership. His work is at a higher level of responsibility than that of an
engineering technician.

4.2.2

His primary role within the profession shall include the application of known and proven
techniques in the execution and management of engineering works. He also assists the
engineer in the design and development of engineering plants and structures where
appropriate.

The engineering technician

4.3.1

4.4.0

The craftsman
4.4.1

5.0.0

his primary role within the profession shall include the responsibility for the execution of
specific jobs in projects; the use of engineering tools and materials applicable to his
specific vocation in the high grade production of engineering plants and services thus
forming the essential support for the engineering technician where appropriate.

RESPONSIBILITY OF CADRES
5.1.0

5.1.0

The registered engineering technician shall have acquired sufficient engineering

theoretical knowledge and relevant practical skills such that he is able to undertake simple
designs. His primary role within the profession shall include the application of known and
proven techniques, supervision of appropriate details of project execution, the diagnoses
of faults, the day to day operation and maintenance of engineering plants, services and
establishments, and design and development of simple engineering projects.

The British engineering council has not only defined roles similar to those of COREN
quoted above, it has also assigned responsibilities which assignment 1 find illuminating.

The engineer
5.2.1

The engineer must be competent by virtue of his appropriate education and training:
1.To apply scientific methods and outlook to the analysis and solution of engineering
problems.
2.to develop a thorough understanding of the special features of a branch of engineering
including interdisciplinary aspects and closely and continuously following progress
on a world-wide basis assimilating such information and applying it independently
so as to be in a position to make contributions to the development of engineering
science and its applications
3.to assume personal responsibility as the occasion demands in research, design,
construction, manufacture, marketing, managing, and in the education and
training of engineers.

4.

5.2.0

The technologists
5.2.1

5.3.0

The technologist must be competent by virtue of his education training and experience:
1.

To exercise technical judgement in and assume responsibility for duties in the

engineering field

2.

To understand, by the application of general principles and established techniques

the reasons for and the purposes of the operations for which they are responsible.

3.

To be aware of the business, management, safety, social and economic context of

their work both within the organisation and in the wider environment.

The engineering technician

5.3.1

5.4.0

to acquire a broad and general appreciation of engineering activity outside his

own branch, together with an understanding of the public context of an
engineers work in social, organisational and economic terms and the effective
and beneficial management of resources.

Engineering technicians will have an understanding of their duties by reference to general

engineering principles applicable to their particular role, rather than relying solely on
established practices or accumulated skills. Additionally, engineering technicians require
communication skills and other personal qualities enabling them to work effectively as
part of the engineering team.

Craftsman
5.4.1

The responsibility of a craftsman relates to the application of skills and it does not require
being spelt out here separately

6.0.0

THE MALAISE THAT BE-DEVILED THE PRACTICE OF ENGINEERING PRACTICE IN NIGERIA

6.1.0

At this point I think it is pertinent to address the issues of cold fit to registration.
COREN has opened four registers such that there is a separate register for each cadre. Some take
exception to this. Why register engineers separately? And if you must register engineers why
should COREN concern itself with the registration of other cadres? Whilst I do not intend to
discuss the issue of registration per se here, I want to state that it is imperative that if one cadre of
the family needs registration then all need registration. The primary tool for regulation and
control is registration. So if you omit registering craftsmen for example, how much control can
you have over them? At the first faculty lecture of the University of Ibadan Faculty of Technology
(1985) It was observed the poor performance of engineering installations all over the country,
indeed the poor finish and malfunction of many a new installation are the direct results of
shortage of skilled craftsmen. Many times professional engineers bear the blame, and so it
should be, since an engineer can only be good as the men working with him. Engineers have to
accept the challenge of training their team in adequate numbers and in the appropriate skills I

cannot but underscore that statement. The successful practice of engineering involves an
interdisciplinary , interdependent team and the fortunes of the other. So the team must work
together and woe betides a team leader who ignores any particular member or members of the
team. By this singular act of registration COREN is able to carry out the function assigned to it by
Decree No. 55 of 1970: regulating and controlling the practice of the engineering profession in all
its aspects and ramifications. Equity demands that all cadres in the profession should be seen to
be subject to similar rules and conditions. The amended COREN decree No. 27 1992 now makes it
an act.
6.2.0

FUNCTIONS
6.2.1 Let us now visit the issue of functions within the family. Many employers claim that they
find those one being registered as technologists as more useful to them than registered
engineers. That may well be so. It is a reflection on our stage of industrialisation and
technological development. Oladapo (1981) in discussing the identified stages of
industrialisation pointed out that there is a correlation between the level of skills and the stage
of industrialisation. At the pre-industrial stage more emphasis is placed on
maintenance and operation of imported technologies. At that stage the need is for
craftsmen and technicians. At the first phase of industrialisation there is a
measure of production of goods using imported raw materials imported
technology and imported machinery. The requirement then is for a preponderance
of craftsmen and technicians with some technologists and engineers. The second
phase of industrialisation involves the local research and development. At that stage
more engineers and technologists are required than hitherto. This analysis is in line with the
roles and responsibilities of the various cadres earlier enunciated. Various ratios for an
acceptable relationship between the cadres at each stage of industrialisation have been
suggested. Definite ratio relationships should be spelt out for planning purposes. The Nigerian
Society of Engineers (1980) suggested the ratio of Engineer: technologist/technician: Craftsman as 1:6:60. It seems to
me that the ratio would be applicable only at the second phase of industrialisation. At the first phase industrialisation
I would rather suggest as more appropriate the ratio of enginer: technologist: technician: craftsman as 1:5:40:4880. It
is hoped that COREN will make a reanouncement on this point soon. In our educational planning
it is of the absolute essence that our requirements must be well known.
The ideal ratio of production ought to be
University undergraduate

Higher National Diploma

11

National Diploma

43

Trade/Vocational

68

At enrolment in 1984 the ratio the country was seeking to produce was 1.0:1.85:7.5:11.82. A few
conclusions are obvious from that. The relationship does not fit into any known stage of industrial
or technological development. The craft skills sure not available. It is a situation that must be
addressed and addressed promptly with all earnestness. Secondly, because of the distortion there is bound to be
7

gross misuse of human resources. Technicians will be used as craftsmen, technologists as technicians and engineers as technologists. It is
sad to admit that even some registered engineers to the functions of craftsmen. Is it any wonder then that some have mounted a spirited
campaign to demonstrate that polytechnic engineers are better than university engineers? Of course if the standard of appraisal is the
craft skills, certainly technical college engineers would be better than them al l. More attention should be paid to the
question of effective use of human resources. The registered engineer will come to bloom only
when he is used as an engineer. This explains how a post university graduate of over ten
years is covering low at interview because he had been doing another cadres job.
7.0.0

8.0.0

RECOGNITION AND REMUNERATION

7.1.0

Perhaps what is partly responsible for the distortion identified above is the question of
recognition. It would seem that the country believes that the only person of consequence
in the engineering profession is the registered engineer. So each practitioner must known
and styled as an engineer. That notion must change. And it will change only when
members of the engineering profession come to accept each other as team mates and
accord each other mutual respect. The fact that there is only one Council responsible for
looking after everybody should be seen as a signal of an attempt to integrate the family.
Also all cadres are registered, albeit, each in his own register. And there is the engineering
assembly that brings all the cadres together under the same banner to consider issues and
problems common to the profession. Certainly the public should see from all these that all
the cadres in the engineering profession deserve recognition.

7.2.0

Closely linked to registration is the matter of remuneration. It is an unfortunate fact of

history that academic qualifications are linked to remuneration in this country. And since
academic qualifications accord some measure of recognition it is clear that recognition is
linked with remuneration. It will be wrong to say that academic qualifications should not
confer recognition not that recognition should not earn remuneration. However, it must
be said and said loudly that it is wrong to tie a persons career development to only his
basic qualification as is or was often done in the public service. A person must be allowed
to be growing in his job. The basic academic qualification indicates his starting point;
where he finishes should depend on his capacity to perform which in turn will be linked to
how much training and opportunities to perform that were open to him. Employers are
begininning to recognise that they can get more out of their staff if they train them
appropriately and adequately. In that case, recognition and remuneration will not be tied
to basic qualification but to contribution towards the productive effort. A parent should
be willing to send his child to a technical college knowing that he has not condemned him
to a lower caste for life but that as more opportunities become available to the child he
can, if he works hard, grow up and occupy the very pinnacle of his chosen profession.
That, to me, is what a just and egalitarian society is all about.
THE ENGINEERING PRACTICE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF REGISTRATION

Legal Registration of Engineers is an established fact that has come to stay in most
countries because the pioneer of registration in regulation movement had the vision and
conviction that it represented an indivisible forward step of progress in the profession because

they overcome complacency , disparagement , prejudice , misunderstanding, secret opposition

and open antagonism John D. Constance.
8.1.0

INTRODUCTION

Every country has power to determine who shall practice an occupation where the protection of
property and safety, welfare and health of the general public are concerned. This police power of the
State which is used to protect the public must be protected from the incompetent and the impostor.
In Engineering, one of the earliest form of such protection dates back to around the year 2000BC.
Then section229 and 230 of the laws of Hammurabi in Babylon State enacted
If a builder erects a house for a man and do not make its construction firm and house which he
built collapsed and caused the death of the owner of the house that builder shall be put to death.
If it causes the death of the son of the owner of the house, they shall put to death the son of the
builder.
In more recent times, the history of registration in engineering goes back to around the year 1907 in
the states of Wyomi in the United States. At that time, the state embarked on a very big irrigation
project. All sorts of people came to the State with various designs. Actually some of the designs
proved that you could get water from a pit without the use of the pump, and the state engineer
became worried as some of the designs were not feasible. So he went to protect the State from claims
of these designs, otherwise we would wake up one day and the whole State would be flooded. He was
lucky, members of the State Legislature were quite receptive and asked him to put up a bill and they
will support it. So in 1907, he put a bill and it passed. That marked the beginning of registration in the
United States.
Registration is not taking in the same way in the United Kingdom, because, there an engineer gets
chartered through his membership of a professional engineering society.
In Nigeria, the enactment of Decree 55 of 1970 and the subsequent amendment of 1992 is the COREN
decree that is about the same form of bill that was acted upon by State of Wyomi. However COREN
recognises the professional bodys examination results to certify a prospective candidate
8.2.0

LEGAL REGRISTRATION

A profession, such as engineering just as Law, Medicine, etc. is a calling or vocation requiring mental
rather than manual labour. Engineering registration is a means of protecting the rights, health and
property of the public. Legal registration of engineers and or its families permits only those who can
safely serve the public to practice and deny such responsibilities to those who are proved
incompetent. This is achieved by prescribed minimum standard for registration and those who fall
below this standard, for representing themselves to the public as engineers, technologists, technicians
or craftsmen. Indeed, legal registration is not restricted engineering profession alone it obtains also in
other professions, but become more important in engineering because if you register an engineer or
a technician is like if you turnned him to a Kill and go, as you have given him a license to kill because
if an engineer who is registered by COREN, designs any structure and it fails , the same failure will
occur in any part of the world, on the designs/ system, using the same theories ,standards, and for
9

the materials that are available at that point in time, Any other engineer who also designs such
system, using the theory, and for that matter the materials that are available at that point in time, also
designs that type of structure, it is likely to fail. You now see the responsibility that registration
confers on both COREN and the registered person otherwise we give you license to kill and go scot
free. What I am saying is that, if you are not registered and you go and put a design and the design
fails and we set up an enquiry, and we find out that it was faulty, first, you have contravened the law
by doing the design without being registered. Secondly, like the laws of Hammurabi if the designs fail,
and you kill somebody you are going to be judged. The statues of regulating this practices, is contained
in general requirement is normally left to the profession itself, and in our case COREN which is the
only legal body that can register and give people license to practice engineering in whatever country.
To get registered a prospective candidate must satisfy the educational requirements up to the level
required for each cadre i.e. the candidate must hold a degree or its equivalent for engineers, the
Higher National Diploma or its equivalent for technologist, the National Diploma or its equivalent for
technicians and crafts candidate must have undergone a period of supervised training and acquired a
period of responsible experienced before presenting himself or herself for registration. In the process
of being registered, the candidate must satisfy the councils minimum requirements in all these areas.
Only those that satisfy these minimum requirements have their names placed on the appropriate
Register.
8.3.0

REGISTRATION AND THE PUBLIC

The work of the engineering profession more than any other, concerns the safety of life and property,
as said earlier. Practically every design, operation, process, etc. undertaken in engineering have public
implications and competence to perform such functions with requisite knowledge and skill is essential
for public good. The public therefore deserves the practice. It gives the practitioner special place in the
court of law and protects him or her from the unqualified opinion of the layman. Thus, the public
confers special form of citizenship on the professional engineer, the technologist, technician and
craftsman and in turn expects from wrangling and extortion. The regulation of engineers registration is
achieved either by protecting the use of the title or by regulating the practice of the profession. Both
methods have been accepted worldwide. Most civil courts worldwide, have adopted the general
policy that expert engineering testimony can only be received from registered engineers. Indeed, in
this country whenever such cases arise, the courts write to COREN for registered engineers to provide
experts opinion on such issues.
8.4.0

PROTECTION OF THE TITLE OF THE REGISTERED

Registration is not only necessary for the safety of the public in the protection of his interest, it is also
necessary for the protection of the good name of the profession. This is so because a profession is
judged by the failures of the incompetence and the conduct of impostors, charlatans and unworthy
and unless. A clear dividing line between the lawful practitioners and those who are not permitted to
practice is established. The public may confuse one for the other, hence registration is a necessity.
Without registration, the engineer would have been restricted in his or her right to practise his chosen
profession. For example, in the past in some countries, in the early days of registration, legislation
sponsored by architects would have subordinated the engineer in the structural field and it is also
known that physicians at the beginning of sanitary engineering tried to corner what we call sanitary
claim that quantities of engineering designs should be measured by them and VALUERS lay claim to
10

the valuation of land and machinery etc. there are several examples that one can give. The individual
engineer has invested many years o f his life in professional education and hard earned experienced in
the field; so also has the profession invested decades of exerted efforts in the public esteem and
recognition for those who are qualified to use the title and all these efforts could be rendered useless
if the title is not protected. The law therefore protects the registered engineer, technologist,
technician and craftsman in their rights to practise the profession against restriction, encroachment
and unqualified completion. Further, due to the non static nature of technology, council ensures
that the registered person belongs to a professional engineering body where he/she continues to
develop and improve his/ her specialization.
8.5.0

What is then the importance of registration?

8.5.1

For the public

i.

Registration protects the public from quacks, charlatans and the unworthy;

ii. It provides a strict yardstick against an engineer, the technologist, a technician, for that matter a
craftsman may be judged on his or her ability to under take specific responsibilities.
iii. Assures that an independent body has examined the registered person and found him/her
qualified to be registered.
8.5.2

The Employer
Registration
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.

Assures a skill base to cope with new technologies and market changes;
Shows investors, analysts and customers of well qualified staff;
Assures customers of professional standards to meet legal requirements.
The employers uses staff with qualifications recognized internationally;
Saves time when recruiting, through the use of identified standards;
Demonstrate thats the aspirations of new employees can be satisfied

8.5.3

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.

The Individual

Registration
Provides proof of standard of education, training and experience;
Provides qualification of international standing known and understood by employers
and their customers;
Increases mobility across wide range of employments;
Keeps him or her abreast of latest development;
Stimulates career developments;
Creates opportunities for satisfying work and tangible results, for the individual.

8.6.0
In this paper I have presented to you what registration is about, I started with history and have
gone through what happens in other countries and what obtains in this country and all I need to say to you,
is that everybody here who is registrable should ensure that he gets registered from now on COREN is

11

going to be on the look out. If you are not registered person and you so call yourself an engineer, we will
take people (offenders) to court.
9.0.0

CONCLUSION

9.1.0 Nigeria needs the engineering profession particularly at this time of its history.
Engineering is the vehicle of development and the means for the creation of wealth. For the profession to
ably rise up and perform its role effectively and efficiently it must be properly structured and organised. An
organisation is necessary to be to carry out plans and accomplish stated objectives. Decree No. 27 1992 has
provided a structure foot the engineering profession. Employers of labour and users of engineering
personnel are invited to take due note of recognition of this structure. If only they do, then tasks and
functions will be appropriately assigned with the consequent benefit of effective use of manpower. Of
course the shortages will become more pronounced and hopefully will be properly addressed.
9.2.0 As for members of the engineering family, it is hoped that this structuring will help bring
home to all the need for team spirit. No one members of the team can function effectively without the
other members, certainly no registered engineer. And as every team must have a team leader or captain of
the team, may all members of the engineering team come to acknowledge the registered engineer as the
team leader. And as team leader, registered engineer should take the lead in ensuring that his team gets
the recognition and remuneration that is due to his team and not just to him as team leader. May the
family come to realise the essence of mutual honour and respect within the family as indeed others will
come to see them as they present themselves to others. The issue of roles and relatives should be
considered settled. Jostling for position or recognition at this point in time can bring nothing but selfdestruction. And there is no need for that. . Come on then, one and all in the engineering family; let us have
all hands on deck I urge make sure you are registered this time ..
REFERENCES
1. Federal Military Government

:Decree No. 27 1992

2. The Engineering Council (Britain)

statements 2nd edition 1990.

3. COREN

Standards

and

Routes

to

registration

Policy

: Memorandum of Honourable Minister of works Nov. 1985

4. Faluyi A.O.
: The Nigerian Engineer and the challenges of a depressed Economyof Ibadan Faculty of technology lecture 1985.
5. Federal Military Government

University

: Decree No. 55 1970

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