By Isqil Najim
The Nigerian engineering community is set for the formal Investiture Ceremony of Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, as the 35th President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), on Saturday, 17th January, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Banquet Hall, Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Event, which will be hosted by the FCT Minister, Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, will feature Vice President Kashim Shettima as Distinguished Guest of Honour, alongside Former President Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, and HRH Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad, the Emir of Lafia.
The 2026 Vision: Unity and Accountability
In a New Year goodwill message released on January 1, 2026, NSE President Ali Rabiu revealed that his leadership would be anchored on integrity, inclusiveness, and a refined focus on the Society’s Strategic Agenda. He stressed that success depends on internal collaboration across branches and divisions
“As they say, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” the President stated. “If we must live up to the expectations of providing the engineering solutions that will propel our nation to higher altitudes, we must fortify all our flanks.”
He pledged to serve with transparency and a deep sense of accountability, calling on members to set aside individual ambitions for the greater good of the profession and the country.
Born on April 24, 1963, in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Engr. Rabiu holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA from Bayero University, Kano. He is a COREN registered Engineer and a Fellow of numerous bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), American Society of Civil Engineers (F.ASCE), Nigerian Academy of Engineering (FAEng), Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (FNICE), Nigerian Institute of Management (FNIM), and the Academy of Natural Sciences and Engineering (FANSEN).
Career highlights
As Executive Partner of AR–AR Partnership, he supervised bridges, roads, and water schemes in Bayelsa, Nasarawa, and Kano. He served as a Senior Engineer at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and was a member of the Presidential Monitoring Team for the DFRRI Rural Water and Sanitation Programme in Sokoto and Kebbi States.
He was a Lead Consultant to the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Goronyo Dam flooding and chaired the technical committee for the Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi Market fire assessment in Kano.
Leadership Evolution
After serving Branch in in various capacities, he rose to become Chairman of the NSE Kano Branch (2007). This followed his elections at National level where he subsequently served for three terms National Vice President and eventually Deputy President (2024–2025). During his period as Deputy President, he chaired the Finance and Budget Board. He also served as a member of the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, and chaired the Visitation Panel to Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic in 2023.
The “Enforcement Era” at COREN
In between his services as National Vice president and Deputy President of NSE, Engr Ali Rabiu had the rare privilege of serving as the President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). His his tenure as President of COREN (2019–2023), was dubbed the “Enforcement Era.”
He was nominated by the Nasarawa State Government in April 2016 to represent the North Central Geo-political Zone on the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). He was subsequently elected President of COREN in 2019.
A dedicated and purpose-driven leader, he demonstrated exceptional administrative acumen and played a pivotal role in strategic stakeholder engagement for the new COREN Act, 2018, securing widespread support from engineering practitioners across the country. He also advanced several inherited projects and initiatives, including the pursuit of COREN’s admission into the International Engineering Alliance as a signatory to the Washington Accord.
Under his leadership, COREN began overhauling Nigerian university curriculum to Outcome-Based Education (OBE) to ensure global recognition of Nigerian degrees. His administration restructured Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) units and signed a landmark MoU with GIZ to certify professionals in the renewable energy sector.
Philosophy and Professional Stance
Known for his blunt intellectualism, Engr. Rabiu hold firm position that “strong will, not money, matters more in building infrastructure.” He has consistently criticized the lack of patronage for local engineers and the misuse of professionals in government developmental programs.
At the community level, Engr. Rabiu was appointed Chairman of the Visitation Panel to Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia, in October 2023 by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, FNSE. He successfully completed the assignment and the Panel’s recommendations, some of which were implemented by the State Government, helped to resolve the protracted crisis in the institution.
For his many contributions to the community and his novel works in his home State of Nasarawa, he was honoured with the traditional title of Cigarin Lafia by the Late Emir of Lafia, HRH Alh. Isa Mustapha Agwai 1. He is a recipient of various professional awards and recognition.
Rabiu takes over from Engr Margaret Oguntala, FNSE, the first female President of the Society (2024–2025). whose tenure reported significant progress in strengthening professionalism, advancing capacity development, and deepening stakeholder engagement. She repositioned Engineering as a critical driver of national development through a commitment to inclusiveness and systemic reform.
