By Musa Baba Adamu
The Council for the Registration of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has revealed that it would commence implementation of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in engineering in January, 2023.
President of the Council, Engr. Ali A. Rabiu, made this revelation in Abuja during the 12th National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Automotive and Locomotive Engineers Institute (Auto EI).
Speaking as a Special Guest of Honour of the occasion with the theme: Electric Vehicles: Prospects and Challenges in a Developing Economy, Engr. Rabiu said it had become imperative to monitor and regulate personal and firms involved in automotive repairs and maintenance in the country.
He also revealed that the Council had approved the constitution of an engineering practitioners’ examination committee for the immediate implementation of harmonised professional registration scheme beneficial to all.
He said: “ furthermore, the council is emphasising the development of indigenous engineering regulations, codes ad standard some of which have been recently gazetted. The institute is charged with hastening the development of regulations for Automotive and Locomotive Engineering practice.”
Also speaking as the key note speaker at the conference, DG/ CEO, Nigeria Automobile Design and Development Council (NADDC) Mr Jelani Aliyu, said in order to key into the global fight against global warming, Nigeria was already promoting uptake of electric vehicles.
He said this effort was meant to help the country attain its COP 26 targets.
Quoting a study carried out by the NADDC on the fuel economy baseline in 2019, Mr Aliyu said with Nigeria having an average fuel economy of 9.56L/100km the country had already out ran global cap of 7.2L/100km in 2017.
He said: “ the result further butresses the need for an accelerated transition to the use of cleaner vehicles to achieve the Net- Zero emission target of 2060.”
He disclosed that the federal government through the NADDC was already promoting environmental conscious ecosystem for the Nation’s Automotive sector.
“ As part of specific efforts made by the NADDC in the electric vehicles promotion, certain active initiative programs have since been initiated including Electric Vehicles Policy Development, NADDC Direct Research and Development, Promotion and Support of stakeholders production, Development of Changing Infrastructure and Collaboration with Academia and Research Institutions.”
On his part, President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Tasiu Gidari- Wudil, said the Conference was an opportunity for Nigerian Engineers to embrace the paradigm shift in the Electric Vehicles technology required to drive Nation’s Automotive sector through generation of ideas and knowledge sharing.
Describing the theme of the conference as apt, he said it was designed to provide avenue to stakeholders to brainstorm and appreciate the strengths and opportunities in automotive and locomotive industries in driving sustainable development.
Welcoming participants earlier on, Chairman of the Auto EI, Engr Abubakar Jumare, said alot needed to be put on place for the actualisation of the deployment of Electric Vehicles in the country.
He listed some of these needs as Charging Infrastructure and access to energy.
He said: “ Electric Vehicles need to charge for at least 30 minutes to be fully charged.”
He said another challenge would be the state of the country’s roads which could lead to breakdown of the vehicles.
“ These are other challenges are areas of research of Nigerian Engineers to come up with ways to overcome them in order to realise the big dream.”
