COREN adopts OBE approach for engineering programmes in universities

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), said it has adopted Outcome Based Education System Learning approach for engineering programmes in the Nigeria universities.
The COREN President,Engr. Ali Rabiu, made the disclosed at a news conference on the outcome of the Third Quarter Council Meeting held in Abuja at the weekend.
He said the decision was made in a bid to benchmark Nigerian Engineering Education System and Accreditation Standards to be in line with global best practices.
According to him, it was geared towards ensuring that engineering principles were been taught in schools, are used to produced Societal friendly products that are more efficient and better skilled for the Nigeria Market.
“The Outcome Based Education System will ensures that it gives right education to the people. What OBE stands for is a change in the way lecturers teaches in the universities and in the engineering institutions.“,Rabiu said.
He maintained that “it is a philosophy that states that education ought to aim at giving students a particular minimum level of knowledge and ability as the major education outcome. It ensures that the universities, no matter where they are located, teach the same curriculum “.
The Council’s president said the” COREN is currently meeting with relevant stakeholders and industries for objective partnership to enhance the implementation of OBE .
Also speaking on the OBE, Vice President, COREN,Dr Clifford Nwoji, who further explained that,the council saw the need to intervene in the training processes of engineers.
He said COREN could not leave the number of students admitted into institutions to the schools alone to ensure qualitative teaching.
“COREN regulates the number of students in the universities and also monitors their courses. This helps us to know what we need now and what we need in the future.
“Also, we require that the schools will forward the names of the under graduates to the council, this enables the council to monitor and check the progress of each student anywhere they may be,’’ Nwoji said.