The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have approved the enforcement of admission quotas for engineering and technology programmes in Nigerian universities as part of efforts to improve the quality of engineering education and practical training across the country.
The President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, announced the development on Tuesday during a media briefing ahead of the council’s 34th Engineering Assembly in Abuja.
According to Abubakar, the new policy will require universities to admit only the number of engineering students that their available infrastructure, laboratories, workshops, equipment and academic workforce can adequately support.
He explained that the decision is aimed at ensuring students receive quality practical training that aligns with international standards.
“I am happy to inform the nation that we have finally gotten the approval and endorsement of both the National Universities Commission and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to enforce admission quotas in all engineering and technology programmes run by Nigerian universities,” he said.
Abubakar noted that the approval places engineering education alongside other highly regulated professional disciplines such as medicine, law and pharmacy, where admission numbers are strictly controlled to maintain educational standards.
“What this means is that the engineering profession has now come to the level of the medical profession, the legal profession, the pharmaceutical profession and similar disciplines where admissions are carefully regulated to ensure quality,” he stated.
He stressed that the move would improve practical learning and ensure engineering graduates acquire stronger technical competencies before entering the workforce.
“We are trying to ensure there is a quality training regime at the university level so that we produce competent graduates with stronger hands-on competencies who will not only practise successfully in Nigeria but compete favourably anywhere in the world,” he added.
The COREN president described the approval as a landmark achievement following years of advocacy by engineering stakeholders.
He said unrestricted admissions had placed excessive pressure on engineering facilities in many universities, resulting in overcrowded laboratories, inadequate equipment and weakened practical instruction.
“This is going to be a game changer for our country and for the workforce Nigeria is likely going to export globally. Engineering is becoming increasingly global, and our graduates must possess the practical competence required to compete internationally,” Abubakar said.
He disclosed that COREN is already engaging with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to extend similar admission quota arrangements to engineering programmes offered in polytechnics across Nigeria.
Beyond admission regulation, Abubakar announced several reforms recently introduced by the council to strengthen engineering education and professional practice.
He revealed that COREN has reintroduced the indexing and oath-taking ceremony for engineering graduates as part of measures to reinforce professionalism within the sector.
He also disclosed that all engineering degree and Higher National Diploma graduates will now undergo a compulsory one-year Engineering Residency Programme before participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
According to him, the residency programme is intended to provide structured industrial experience and practical exposure that will better prepare graduates for professional practice.
Abubakar further stated that COREN has trained and certified 239 engineering infrastructure failure and forensic investigators to examine engineering failures nationwide.
He explained that the specialists would investigate incidents such as collapsed buildings, failed bridges, industrial accidents and other engineering-related disasters.
“The objective is to determine scientifically what went wrong whenever engineering infrastructure fails, identify those responsible and recommend measures that will prevent future occurrences,” he said.
The COREN president also revealed that 839 engineering programme evaluators drawn from universities, polytechnics and industry have been trained to strengthen accreditation exercises and improve quality assurance across engineering institutions.
According to him, the council has intensified compliance inspections nationwide, expanded its regional offices, digitised its registration process and reactivated its disciplinary tribunal to strengthen engineering regulation.
He warned that many engineering failures recorded in the country are directly linked to non-compliance with professional standards and regulatory requirements.
Abubakar said this year’s Engineering Assembly, themed “Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria Through Strategic Engineering Regulation, Enforcement and Tiered Sanctioning Regime,” will focus on improving engineering governance, strengthening regulatory enforcement and reducing infrastructure failures across Nigeria.
