by Isqil Najim
The National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers, NIEE, Engr. Caius Ikem Umekesiobi, has called on members of the institution to move beyond passive membership and take up active roles in shaping the profession, warning that the body cannot afford to have engineers who only follow its activities from a distance.
Speaking recently, Umekesiobi expressed concern that a large number of NIEE members are active on the institution’s online platforms, where they read updates, download CPD materials and take advantage of job opportunities shared by the body, yet many of these same members are not registered financial members and rarely attend chapter meetings or programmes.
“You cannot be a passenger and expect to steer the bus,” he said, stressing that NIEE is not a social media community but a professional home for environmental engineers, one that represents their interests before regulatory agencies such as NESREA, NUPRC, SON and others.
The NIEE was established on February 12, 1995, following approval by the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE. It was formed to cater to the professional development of engineers whose work touches on water resources, solid, liquid and gaseous waste management, and the environmental dimensions of civil, agricultural, chemical, industrial, petroleum, mechanical, electrical, safety and power engineering.
Because nearly every branch of engineering leaves some footprint on the environment, the institution has, over the years, positioned itself as a body that intersects across all engineering disciplines, with the singular aim of preserving Nigeria’s ecological and natural resources.
Since its founding, NIEE has expanded its presence with chapters across several states, growing into the primary voice representing environmental engineering practitioners before government bodies and regulatory agencies in the country.
It is against this backdrop, of an institution built over three decades on advocacy and technical collaboration with regulators, that Umekesiobi’s charge to members carries weight.
According to him, the institution exists to train members, defend their interests and create opportunities for them, but this can only be more impactful when members take ownership of the institution rather than treating it as a source of free information and knowledge.
The National Chairman then laid out what he described as a clear charge to every member of the institution. He asked passive online members to formally register through the institution’s portal at www.niee.org.ng/portal and join the chapter closest to where they practice.
He also urged registered members to settle their dues for 2026, describing financial membership as the minimum requirement for anyone who wants to be taken seriously within the body, and advised those yet to do so to reach out to their chapter treasurers without further delay.
Beyond registration and payment of dues, Umekesiobi called on members to attend at least one chapter meeting or CPD event every quarter, get familiar with their chapter executives and build relationships with fellow professionals.
He further encouraged engineers to join committees, mentor younger colleagues and contribute their expertise to the growth of the profession, noting that this is a period when issues such as energy transition, climate action, green hydrogen and ESG standards are becoming increasingly important, both globally and in Nigeria.
“Nigeria needs licensed, active and united environmental engineers, not spectators,” he said.
“If you are an engineer and you care about this profession, then prove it. Be financial. Be present. Be NIEE.”
Call For CPD Committee Volunteers
In a related move, the institution has thrown open nominations for its Continuous Professional Development Committee for the 2026 and 2027 session. The committee is responsible for organising trainings, seminars and workshops that help members fulfil their mandatory CPD requirements under NIEE, NSE and COREN, while also keeping practitioners updated on developments within environmental engineering, a mandate that ties directly into the institution’s founding objective of capacity building.
To qualify, interested persons must hold corporate or fellow membership of NIEE or NSE and be in good financial standing. They must also be registered with COREN and hold an active licence, with at least five years of post registration experience in environmental engineering.
Beyond meeting these requirements, applicants are expected to commit to attending no less than 80 percent of committee meetings and to help coordinate a minimum of five CPD events yearly.
The institution noted that applicants can come from academia, industry or research institutions, and specifically encouraged young engineers and female professionals to put themselves forward.
Those interested, or persons wishing to nominate a colleague, were asked to send full names, phone numbers, email addresses, organisation and a copy of their CV to [email protected], with a copy to [email protected].
The institution’s leadership described the opportunity as one that would allow members shape the direction of training within the profession, connect with regulators, partners and industry players, and earn leadership CPD hours in the process.