In a significant move aimed at raising the bar in Nigeria’s construction and engineering industries, the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) have announced a formal collaboration to promote professional integrity, enhance project quality, and improve regulatory oversight across the sector.
Dr. Samson Opaluwah, Chairman of CORBON, described the partnership as a pivotal step toward maximizing human capacity and advancing the built environment. He highlighted the initiative as a united front to address persistent challenges in construction and infrastructure delivery.
“This is a transformative moment. It reflects our joint resolve to elevate professional standards and improve outcomes in building and engineering practices,” Opaluwah said.
COREN President, Professor Sadiq Abubakar, echoed the sentiment, calling for cooperation between regulatory bodies to safeguard national interests. He warned that disunity and overlapping functions could undermine efforts to tackle infrastructure deficits and slow economic progress.
“When regulatory agencies treat each other as rivals, the country pays the price. Collaboration is our path to national development,” Abubakar stated.
A key focus of the partnership is tackling the issue of building collapses, which have plagued various parts of the country. Professor Abubakar noted that a significant number of these incidents stem from gaps in existing laws that fail to hold developers adequately accountable.
“Many of the current legal provisions don’t address the main culprits. This memorandum of understanding is a strategic step toward more effective regulation,” he said.
To that end, COREN is working on updating its legal framework to broaden its enforcement capabilities. CORBON will contribute to the drafting of the proposed legislative changes, which COREN aims to submit to the National Assembly before year’s end.
As part of the agreement, CORBON experts will now play an active role in COREN’s Enforcement and Regulatory Monitoring (ERM) activities across Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory. This joint approach is expected to boost public trust in the country’s construction industry by weeding out unqualified personnel and enforcing compliance.
“We’ll be working as a single team in the field. It’s not about whose logo is on the jacket, it’s about ensuring safety and excellence for Nigerians,” Opaluwah affirmed.
The partnership was formally sealed with an exchange of symbolic gifts between the two councils, underscoring a shared commitment to improving infrastructure delivery and promoting best practices in Nigeria’s built environment.
