By Isqil Najim
Nigeria is intensifying its efforts to secure global recognition for its engineering and technical qualifications through active participation in the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) accords. This drive for international benchmarking is being spearheaded by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering (COREN) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Speaking at a Strategic Group Workshop focused on aligning Nigeria’s engineering education with international standards, Prof. Idris Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, declared the Board’s full support for COREN’s international accreditation process. While Nigerian institutions already have national accreditation from bodies like the NBTE and the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Bugaje stressed that international benchmarking is the crucial next step.
According to him, “It is not enough to have national accreditation… More importantly, there should be an international benchmark, and that is exactly what these three accords are all about.”
This move is designed to ensure that Nigerian-trained engineers, technologists, and technicians meet the demanding global standards.
COREN is nearing the final stages of the Washington Accord accreditation for Nigerian university engineering degree programs, having already secured provisional signatory status in 2023. The focus has now shifted to the Sydney Accord for Higher National Diploma (HND) programs and the Dublin Accord for National Diploma (ND) programs.
The NBTE boss highlighted the inclusive nature of the effort, noting that stakeholders from the entire ecosystem—including artisans, technicians, technologists, and the academic sector—have been brought together. He said that this ensures the initiative addresses all levels, “from skills training to advanced professional engineering.”
Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, President of COREN, called for a renewed national commitment to this journey. He described it as a “national assignment” critical for making Nigeria’s technical workforce globally competitive. He stressed that the nation’s most valuable export is its certified, globally recognized human capital.
According to Prof. Abubakar, “The opportunity has come for us to be formalised to ensure that we have global recognition by joining these accords.” he said that securing membership in these accords will allow Nigeria to sign Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) with other member countries, thereby opening the door for certified Nigerian professionals to practice and be recognized anywhere in the world.
He however added, “Nobody is doubting our competence. What we need now is to formalise our global presence.” Completing this process is expected to not only “change the narrative of engineering in Nigeria but also redefine our global contribution.”
Earlier, while giving the workshop orientation, one of the event facilitators, Professor Baba El-Yakub, highlighted the expectations at the end of the workshop to include, but not limited to participants having knowledge of key requirements for successful application of the Washington and Sydney Accords; developing “a roadmap that would lead us to the final application”. The Chairman of the Engineering Accreditation Committee (EAC), Prof. Christian Bolu, spoke on Strategies for Advocacy and Sensitization and outlined how strategic communication and partnership could support Nigeria’s successful application.
Also speaking, Professor Megat Johari Megat Mohd Noor , one of the two trainers invited spoke on “Rules and Procedures of Sydney and Dublin Accords”. His sessions covered, Requirements to Join the Sydney and Dublin Accords, Application Procedure and Process. and Roadmap Including Components of Implementation, Milestones, and Timelines. Prof. Megat of the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), a seasoned trainer and international assessor who is also Chair of the Dublin Accord, President of the Malaysian Society of Engineering and Technology (MySET), and Vice President of the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Islamic Countries (FEIIC).
Also speaking, Professor Nasir Khan of Pakistan Engineering Council, PEC as the second resource person at the workshop. Among the participants were the leadership of COREN and NBTE, nominees from both organisations, selected Rectors of Polytechnics, and members of the Engineering Accreditation Committee (EAC) — all representing critical segments of Nigeria’s engineering education ecosystem.
Understanding the International Engineering Accords
The accords are agreements under the larger International Engineering Alliance (IEA) that aim to harmonize engineering education standards worldwide and promote quality and mobility for professionals across national boundaries.
The Washington Accord is the premier international agreement focused on undergraduate engineering degrees (typically four-year Bachelor of Engineering programs). Its purpose is to ensure that graduates of accredited programs in one signatory country have an academic qualification recognized as equivalent in all others, thus, thereby facilitating the mutual recognition of professional engineers.
The Sydney Accord is focused on the academic qualifications for Engineering Technologists (often graduates of advanced technical or polytechnic programs like Nigeria’s HND), guaranteeing that their education is recognized as substantially equivalent across signatory countries to enhance their mobility.
The Dublin Accord is focused on the academic qualifications for Engineering Technicians (often graduates of shorter technical programs like Nigeria’s ND), ensuring their academic formation is considered substantially equivalent to that of all other signatories, supporting their international recognition and employment.
What Is the benefit?
The primary benefit of membership in these accords is enhanced global mobility and recognition. They provide an international benchmark of quality for Nigerian engineering and technical education. Membership allows Nigeria to sign Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) with other countries, which is the mechanism that allows Nigerian-certified professionals (engineers, technologists, and technicians) to have their qualifications instantly recognized abroad.