Buhari signs bill preventing NYSC from posting engineering graduates to schools

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the engineers (registration etc) amendment bill, 2019, which prevents the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from posting graduates of engineering to schools to teach.

Ita Enang, senior special assistant to the president on national assembly (senate), who made this known on Friday while speaking with reporters at the state house, said the principal Act establishes the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

The amendment states that the NYSC shall ensure posting of graduate engineers and technologists to places of relevant professional engineering experience, as against the tradition of posting to schools to teach.

“The Directorate of the National Youth Service Corps shall ensure posting of graduate engineers and technologists to places of relevant professional engineering experience,” said Enang as he cited section 14 (i and ii) of the act.

“Pursuant to the provision of subsection (i), the Directorate of National Youth Service Corps shall communicate the location of graduate engineers and engineering technologists to the Council.’’

“The Act broadens engineering ‘practitioners to include a registered engineer, engineering technologist, engineering technician and engineering craftsman.’ It emphasises more on engineering practitioners as against ‘engineer.’

“The Act has been remitted in accordance with standard legal procedures. The principal Act establishes the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria – COREN’ with power vested.

“The amendment now assented to by Mr. President broadens the powers of COREN with far-reaching powers of prosecution of infractions, regulating industrial training of engineers, capacity building of local content in Nigeria engineering industry.

“Specifically, the new law grants COREN powers of: ‘prosecuting any person or firm that contravenes the provisions of this Act in a court of competent jurisdiction; regulating industrial training schemes in engineering practitioners and students; ensuring capacity building and monitoring local content development in the Nigerian engineering industry through – mandatory attachment of Nigerians to expatriate engineers on major projects to understudy them from inception; ensuring that all foreign engineering firms establish their design offices in Nigeria.”