Registration and Practicing License
Registration versus licence
The Engineers (Registration, etc.) Act, Cap E11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, establishes COREN and its register. Registration enters a person on the register in a category such as Registered Engineer, Registered Engineering Technologist, Registered Engineering Technician, or craftsman level where applicable. Registration is not the same as a practising licence: the licence is the annual authorisation to practise, renewed with the prescribed fee and evidence of compliance, including CPD. The register is category-specific, so a technician must not be presented as an engineer.
Eligibility and firm registration
Eligibility for the engineer category rests on an accredited engineering degree, completed NYSC, the prescribed period of supervised post-qualification experience, and satisfactory professional assessment. Foreign qualifications are assessed for comparability. Engineering firms offering services to the public must also be registered, with a registered engineer as responsible principal.
Worked example
An applicant holds a B.Eng from an accredited university, has a discharge certificate, and has worked 18 months in a consulting firm. He applies for Registered Engineer status and is refused. Reasoning: the statutory pathway requires the prescribed period of supervised experience and professional assessment; 18 months is below the minimum, and the file lacks a mentor's log and project evidence. He should apply for the appropriate pre-registration status and reapply when eligible. NSE membership is not a substitute.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing NSE corporate membership with COREN registration.
- Assuming licence renewal is automatic after initial registration.
- Practising or using the title "Engr" without registration.
- Overlooking separate registration of the engineering firm.