COREN CERTIFICATION: How To Become A Registered (Certified) Engineer In Nigeria
After graduation from a reputable and recognized institution in Nigeria, there are certain requirements still needed to make one a certified engineer in Nigeria.
Usually, an Engineering student spends 5 years in a university, but may not practice upon graduation, till he becomes COREN certified.
COREN, is the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.
It is the body saddled with the responsibility of regulating, coordinating, controlling and certifying engineers in Nigeria.
COREN, was established by decree 55 of 1970 and amended by Decree 27 of 1992, now the “Engineers (Registration, etc) Act, CAP E11 of 2004” Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
To become COREN certified, certain things are required viz:
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONALITIES
- In Section 1 (i) subsections (a) and (b) and subsection (3) of Section (4) of COREN enabling decree, COREN is empowered to determine who are engineering personnel and to register them in their respective registers.
- Similarly, the council has been able to regulate, as contained in its publication CP3, that a person desiring to become a registered Engineering Personnel must, after obtaining the approved/accredited required academic qualification, must have four (4) years post-graduate experience which must be under the supervision of a senior registered Engineer.
- In order to be accredited or become COREN certified, you must belong to a recognized professional body or society. This is because COREN is of the belief that the continuing effectiveness of an engineering personnel depends on his contact with a recognized professional society.
- It is worthy of note that membership of a society does not by itself grant automatic right to be registered or accredited by COREN; Therefore, COREN still needs to satisfy itself that the academic qualification is registrable for the category applied for.
- The decree specifies the abbreviation to be used by each cadre as follows:
- A Registered Engineer shall use the abbreviation “Engr” before his name.
- A Registered Engineering Technologist shall use the abbreviation “Engn. Tech” after his name.
- A Registered Engineering Technician shall use the abbreviation “Tech” after his name.
- A Registered Engineering Craftsman shall use his full title “Craftsman” with his trade in bracket under his name.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REGISTRATION OF CONSULTING FIRMS
Apart from individual registrations, COREN is further empowered to register Consultancy Firms in the following categories:
1. SOLE-OWNERSHIP
For sole ownership registration, the firm must be owned by a COREN registered Engineer who must be up to date in the payment of his practicing fee.
a. The firm must be registered by Corporate Affairs Commission with a Certificate of Registration.
b. The following documents must be submitted in order to register a sole-proprietorship or sole-ownership type of business or firm:
(i) Corporate Affairs Form 2 (form of application for registration)
(ii) Brochure of the firm
(iii) CV of owner
(iv) Payment of an appropriate processing fee
(v) Corporate Affairs Form CAC 10 (Annual Returns)
(vi) Completed COREN Firm Application Form
2. PARTNERSHIP
a. The partnership is to be owned by two or more registered engineers who must be up to date in the payment of their practicing fees.
b. The Firm must be registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with Certificate of incorporation.
c. The following documents must be submitted in order to successfully register a partnership with COREN:
(i)(Corporate Affairs Commission Form 2 (Form of application for registration)
(ii)CV of partners
(iii)Payment of the appropriate processing fee
(iv)Deed of Partnership
(v)Corporate Affairs Form CAC 10 (Annual Returns)
(vi)Company Brochure
(vii)Complete COREN Firm Application Form
3. LIMITED LIABILITY FIRMS
a. Directors on the board who are registered Engineers must be shareholders of the firm and hold at least 55% shares.
b. The registered Engineer(s) must be up to date in the payment of his (their) practicing fees.
c. The Firm must be registered with Corporate Affairs Commission with Certificate of incorporation.
c. The following documents must be submitted to register a Limited Liability Company or firm:
(i) Copy of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Certificate of Incorporation of Firm.
(ii) Certified true copy of Memorandum and Articles of Association of Firm.
(iii) Certified true Copy of CAC Form C07.
(iv) Certified true copy of CAC Form CO2.
(v) Copy of current Tax Clearance Certificate.
(vi) Copy of VAT registration Certificate.
(vii) Copy of PENCOM registration Certificate.
(viii) Company’s Profile/Brochure of the Firm.
(ix) Detailed CV of Partners/Directors endorsed by Proposers who must be ACEN members up to date in practicing fees.
(x) Comprehensive list of staff
(xi) Brief description of office
(xii) List of office Furniture/Equipment owned/available to the firm
(xiii) List of office facilities and computer/CAD equipment resources owned/available to the firm
(xiv) List of specialty software owned/available to the firm
(xv) List of ACEN/COREN or other equivalent training courses attended in last 2 years (attach copies of Certificates of Attendance)
xvi) List of current Codes of Practice, Design Standards and Specifications owned
(xvii) Name type of Contract Formats that your Firm has and uses (ICE, NEC, FIDIC, JCT, etc)
(xviii) Copy of Professional Indemnity Insurance
(xix) Copy of Quality Assurance (QA)/Quality Control (QC) Policy Manual
(xx) Copy of HSES Policy Manual
(xxi) Signed statement of compliance with COREN Code of Conduct
(xxii) Copy of the Firms Business Plan
(xxiii) A copy of COREN Certificate of the Director(s)
(xxiv) Payment of an appropriate application and processing fee
3.0 Other Requirements
In addition to the firm having met above requirements for registration, All Directors shall fulfill the following requirements:
- Demonstrate technical expertise by providing a detailed engineering report (minimum of 2,000 words) of studies, designs and supervision of works carried out under supervision in organisations with the competence to provide such training. Such work experience shall be for a period of not less than five years.
- Demonstrate experience by the seniority attained and level of responsibility carried in a consulting engineering firm or similar organization. The candidate shall be required to demonstrate that he has been able to lead a project team of reasonable size. Such experience should have been acquired for a period of not less than three years after initial registration with COREN/Recognized Professional bodies. This shall be provided with a Statement of Consultancy Experience signed by the head of a Registered Consulting Firm with COREN and member of ACEN (i.e.: A reference letter from a registered company with COREN and ACEN proposing the company for registration with a copy of the firm’s COREN certificate attached).
- All firms will apply for renewal of their Firm membership every five years. The application for renewal will be submitted three months before the expiry date of the old firm membership. Any Firm that has stayed off consulting services for a period of five years or more shall be required to re-apply for fresh registration as a consultant.
- Also, Expatriate Engineers who are granted provisional registration cannot register a 100% owned Engineering Consulting Firm.
- Expatriate Engineers who are registered with COREN and desire to register a Consulting Firm can only do so in Partnership with the Nigerian Engineer.
- The Partnership agreement must have the Nigerian Engineer as the major shareholder (i.e own at least 55% of the shares) while his foreign counterpart holds a minority shareholding.
- Consulting firms must indicate that they are consulting firms when registering with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
- Memorandum of the Association should be specified that the company is solely in consulting business.
As mentioned above, one of the core requirements for becoming COREN certified, is one’s membership with a recognized professional society. One of the most recognized professional body or society in Nigeria, is the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
Hence, let us see the grades of, and the requirements for registering with the Nigerian Society of Engineers, which is a core requirement for COREN certification in Nigeria.
Grades of NSE, Requirements, and How to Register with the Nigerian Society of Engineers
Following are guidelines for persons aspiring to become members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers. There are six grades of membership namely:
Fellow, Honorary Fellow, Corporate Member, Graduate Member, Associate and Student Member. The education and training required for each grade of membership are listed hereunder:
Student Membership
Graduate Membership
Person must have undergone a regular course of study in Engineering Science of a duration not less than three years in a University or Technical Institution whose curriculum is approved by the Council, and completed such a course successfully, or satisfied the requirements of other Engineering Societies approved by the Council in respect of Engineering Education.
Associate Membership
Corporate Membership
A Corporate member is eligible to all privileges of a member as prescribed by Council, is eligible to vote at the AGM and can aspire to any positions in the Society in line with the conditions as prescribed by Council.
A Member can be moved to Fellowship Cadre upon application and fulfilling the conditions for the category.
Affiliate Membership (Honorary Fellow)
Fellow Membership
A Fellow of the Society is a distinguished category of member with all privileges of a member and other ones conferred by the Fellowship category as prescribed by Council. A Fellow is eligible to vote at the AGM and can aspire to any positions in the Society in line with the conditions as prescribed by Council.
A Fellow of the Society is recognised for valuable and selfless service to the Society and widely acknowledged authority in his field.
All members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers pay certain dues and levies which are due on the 1st day of July each year. A member who defaults in this payment for a whole year, loses his/her membership or affiliation to the professional body.
To register for COREN, head over to COREN website here, and follow the registration instructions.
To become a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, visit the NSE registration portal here
To apply for “Student” or “Graduate Membership”, follow this link.
