IMO STATE UNIVERSITY OWERRI

P.M.B 2000, IMO STATE,

NIGERIA
Engineering professional practice in
Nigeria.

EZIHE CHUKWUEBUKA
AGAPTUS
NAME:

DEPA
RTM
ENT :

MECNO. : 11/10060
MAT

HAN
ICAL
LEVEL : 500 LEVEL
ENG
INE
ERI
COURSE : Professional Pratice (GEN
NG

592)

DATE : SEPT
2016

INTRODUCTION
Engineers play key roles in the development of nations through
design, construction and development of Infrastructures and
Industrial Systems. Consequently, the activities of Engineers
impact on the environment and the quality of life, health and
safety of the people. The high demand for these infrastructures
and the by product of engineering activities increased public
focus on the practice of engineering. The public became aware
that

the

benefits

of

industrial

progress

and

infrastructure

development must be balanced against need to protect the public

from dangers caused by engineering failures and by- products of
technology. Accordingly, Engineers were made to perform under
the highest standards of ethical conduct.
Engineering failures usually lead to loss of huge resources and
attract national and media interest.

Also, failures of complex

engineering systems are often described as national disasters

which should be prevented. Therefore Engineers should always be
conscious of the implications of their actions. Engineering Ethics
became necessary to assist Engineers achieve public safety and
2

high standards of performance. Engineering Ethics is today

attracting attention in Professional Societies and engineering
curricula throughout the world.
This course seeks to identify the Engineering Professional as
having some characteristics which engender commitment to
excellence. The fundamental canons for engineering ethics
common

to

all

engineering

disciplines

are

reviewed.

The

Engineers responsibility for public safety and the various

professional obligations are highlighted. Mandatory Professional
Development

and

Professional

conduct

are

presented

as

requirements for successful professional careers.

PROFESSIONALISATION
It is generally agreed that there are a number of characteristics
which distinguish a profession from other less formally constituted
trades and occupations:
(i) The professional discipline has a command of a specialized
body of knowledge necessary for planning, design, construction
and operation of physical structures, engines/machines.
3

(ii) The body of knowledge is transmitted through recognized

training and regularly updated on behalf of the professional body
to ensure certified standards of proficiency.
(iii) A code of Ethics and Standards govern the practice of the
profession and ensure the satisfaction and safety of the client in
particular and the society in general.
(iv) A monopoly is usually granted to a professional body by
society through laws to ensure that only registered members can
engage in the professional practice.
(v) The members are committed to constant educational renewal
through a lifelong learning of latest technology and professional
development.
(vi) The professional body is legally to regulate itself, discipline its
members and control the practice of the profession.
It is said that the quality of a persons life is in direct proportion to
their commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen field of
endeavor (Vince Lombardi). Professionalism is therefore about
commitment to standards of excellence in the performance of
tasks which require specialized skills and expertise. A professional
4

is thus someone whose basic satisfaction is in performing well,

tasks for which he has been trained and always strives to achieve
the best standard possible in any circumstance. To be a
professional is thus to flaunt the highest levels of the skills one
professes to command. The Nigerian Society of Engineers in
organizing courses for her members is encouraging continuing
professional development of its membership.

The Engineering Profession

Engineering has been defined as that Art of Science that
harnesses the resources of nature to produce and maintain an
artefact for the benefit and convenience of mankind. It is the
practice of designing machines, bridges, railways, electrification
of cities, communication equipment, and petrochemical industries
etc. In short, it is the application of science to solve societal
problems.

Engineers Professional Obligations

Engineers shall commit themselves to achieving the highest

standards in their work so as to increase the reputation of their
profession. To achieve this they shall:
Act consistently in public interest
Act In the best interest of their client and employer and
consistent with public interest
Their product meet the highest professional standards
possible
Maintain the integrity of their professional judgment
Promote an ethical approach to design and development
Advance the integrity and reputation of the profession
consistent with public interest
Should be fair to and supportive of their colleagues
Committed to lifelong learning and professional development
Shall promote an ethical approach to professional practice.
Thus the engineer has various obligations which are further
expatiated for emphasis

The

History/Development

of

Engineering

Professional Practice in Nigeria

Government establishments and private entrepreneurs in
Nigeria have been addressing themselves to the problem of
developing technology that is definitely a solution to improving
the quality of life of the people, maximization of the use of
available resources and creation of more job opportunities. The
history

of

engineering

in

Nigeria

traces

its

root

to

the

establishment of the Public Works Department (P.W.D) of southern

Government in Lagos in 1896, the P.W.D comprised mainly of
three sections (Civil, Mechanical and Electrical).It was responsible
for the management of engineering problems in the southern
Government of Nigeria. As the country entered into independence
in 1960, the three regions (North, East and West) had their
separate P.W.D.
In 1966, the Nigerian council for scientific and industrial
Research (NCSIR) was established, The NSCIR gave rise to the
establishment of: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture,
Ibadan (IITA) in 1967, Kaduna polytechnic in 1968, Yaba College of
technology in 1969, and a new council called Nigerian Council For
7

Science and Technology (NCST). The creation of the NCST

engendered the promulgation of Nigerian Steel Development
authority

(NSDA) Decree of 1971.In the same year, the

Agricultural Research Council Of Nigeria (ARCN) was established.

Also, in 1971 on the recommendation of NCST, the industrial
Training Fund (ITF) was established. In 1973, the Petroleum
Technology Development Fund was created to train Nigerians in
the field of Engineering, Geology, Science and Management in the
petroleum Industry. This lead to the establishment of the
Petroleum Training Institute, Warri. The National Science and
Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) was established in
1977 and in 1980, a separate Ministry of science and Technology
was born .In compliance with Vienna (1979) ,directives and
recommendations, apart from the existing specialized Federal
Polytechnics, more Federal Universities of Technology were also
established in 1980

to cater for the training of engineering

manpower .In 1987, the National Science and Technology Fund

(NSTF) was put in place to provide fund for activities in science
and technology . In 1988, the Raw Materials Research and
Development Council (RMRDC) was born for the development of
8

industrial

raw

materials,

creating

self-sufficiency

and

maximization of inputs to local industries.

Evidence of Engineering and Technology in Nigeria is seen in
development

and

adaptation

of

appropriate

machines

and

equipment for easing out tedium and drudgery in certain

operations in agriculture and Industries developed by these
government agencies. These indigenously developed adapted
machines and equipment are now becoming regular exhibits at
trade fairs, shows and exhibition that are regularly organized by
government agencies, associations and private industrialists.

THE EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF

ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL PRATICE IN
NIGERIA
The Nigerian Society of Engineers was established in 1958 with
the primary objective of providing a rallying forum for Nigerian
Engineers to address the problem of colonial marginalization for
an increased participation in the policy formulation and physical
development of our fatherland. Since then, the Nigerian engineer
has recorded tremendous achievements in the areas of science,
9

engineering, and technology. Unfortunately, the Nigerian engineer

has had a cope with a very hostile environment occasioned by the
invasion of the engineering profession by quacks and impostors of
sorts. This has resulted in very poor standard job, numerous
abandoned projects everywhere, structural failures, fires and
outright collapses. The unfortunate consequences have been the
colossal waste of human and material resources and the terribly
battered image and morale of the Nigerian engineer. The
devastating effect of this state of affairs is slowing down the
progress of a young country in a hurry to develop quickly
attracted the attention of Government. Thus, the Engineers
(Registration,

etc)

Decree

55

(1970)

was

promulgated.

Unfortunately, the registration of engineers alone could not stop

the continuing bastardization of the engineering profession by
quacks and attendant consequences. Thus, through further hard
work and representations of the Nigerian Society of Engineers the
amended Decree 27 (1992) was promulgated by which the
Council for Registration of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN) was now
renamed the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria

10

with full powers of register control, and monitor and enforce

compliance.
The Engineering Regulations Monitoring (ERM) is a statutory
function of COREN. However, its execution includes and involves
the whole engineering personnel otherwise known as the
Engineering

family.

The

engineering

family

comprises

the

engineers, technologists, technicians, and craftsmen. Several

attempts to address the ERM has been embarked upon by COREN
in the past. The most remarkable of these efforts include the
various COREN Assemblies for sensitizing members of the
engineering family on the relevance and objectives of ERM and
the various problems militating against its implementation. Of
particular importance were the Abuja COREN Assembly / ERM
Seminar of 17th October 1996 and ERM workshop of 9th November
1996.
In recognition of the urgent need for ERM as a corrective tool and
tool for professional protectionism, as well as the current funding
inadequacies

in

the

environment,

the

Nigerian

Society

of

Engineers Council approved to give maximum assistance to

11

COREN in order to kick-start the program by latest 1997. This was

followed by the nomination and training of inspectors in 1996.
Two COREN /NSE Workshops were also held in the current year at
which the objectives, modalities and procedures for the ERM were
fine-tuned

and

approved.

The

kick-off

date

for

the

ERM

nationwide was thus set for 23rdJune 1997. The final stages in
setting the scene included the production and testing of
Inspection Questionnaires at special training workshops held for
Branch Chairman / resource persons and inspectors nationwide on
17th June 1997 and 19th June 1997 respectively.
At this juncture, it is necessary to state that the engineer cannot
be opposed to non-engineer businessmen doing engineering
business: in fact this is encouraged internationally, However,
given the ugly consequences of engineering failures, there is very
justification to insist that the entire technical functions from the
topmost technical management (technical director) to the artisan
should be headed and run by registered engineering personnel
who are responsible and liable for the maintenance of standards,
code and ethics of the engineering profession. In addition, it is

12

necessary that at least one member of the Board of Directors is a

registered engineer in other to ensure a competent technical
direction of the board.

ENGINEERS RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

Recent incidences in the US such as the Challenger space-ship
disaster, the Kansas city Hyatt Regency hotel walkway collapse
and the Exxon Oil spill have drawn attention to the Engineers
responsibility for public safety. Safety is a social and not primarily
a legal obligation. Engineers and their managers must keep their
obligations to public safety at the forefront when making design
and management decisions. Quality designs and construction
practice are imperative in every field of engineering. There is
need for ethical and creative engineering designs and corporate
practice. The American Society of Civil Engineering Code of Ethics
states that Engineers must hold the public safety, welfare, and
health paramount and use our knowledge and skill for the
enhancement of human welfare. When Engineers take pride in
and responsibility for their designs, the entire engineering
profession

benefits.

Consideration
13

of

professional

ethics

in

engineering practice positively affects engineering creativity. If

ignored, bad public relations are a possibility for the engineer, the
company he works for and the profession in general. Engineers
should strictly adhere to their professional codes and standards.
They should encourage others to report those who do not. They
should do so because:
(i)

It will help protect people from being injured by what the

(ii)

engineers do.
It will assure

each

engineer

of

better

working

environment and reduce pressures from other people to

do otherwise.
(iii) They will be proud of their profession if they adhere to the
codes of ethics, especially in Nigeria where the public
image of engineers need improvement.
(iv) Adhering to the codes will lead to benefits for all
engineers and public confidence in the profession will be
increased.
Safety is an essential design consideration. Safety is deemed
as the absence of unreasonable danger. Sometimes, a factor
safety of 2-3 is built into engineering design equations. Despite
this, litigations associated with engineering failures are on the
14

increase, and in some countries practicing as a professional has

become a risky venture. The Engineers and their professional
societies must acquire requisite knowledge about liability issues.
The question is often asked, where does a design engineer and
his

companies

responsibility

end

and

the

contractors,

manufacturers and consumers begin?. It is pertinent to end this

section on Engineers responsibility for public safety with a
quotation from the Ethics case studies published by the Texas A &
M department of philosophy and mechanical Engineering: The
public has provided Engineers, through the tax base, with the
means of obtaining education, and through legislation, with the
means

of

licensing

and

regulating

themselves.

In

return,

engineers have responsibility for protecting the safety and

wellbeing of the public in all of their design efforts. This is part of
an implicit social contract all engineers agree to when they accept
admission to an engineering college (membership of NSE).

15

Challenges

of

Engineering

Professional

Practice in Nigeria
Weak technological base:
This is perhaps one of the greatest obstacles that face sustainable
energy development in Nigeria. The Country has gross defects in
technological know-how, maybe with the exception of few locally
manufactured renewable energy technologies like improved
woodstoves, bio digesters etc. For instance 90% of Photovoltaic
(PV) modules that are used in Nigeria are imported (Wamukonya,
2005). Currently, National Agency for Science and Engineering
Infrastructure (NASENI) is the only organization that produces PV
modules in Nigeria.

Poor infrastructural Facility:

Despite the abundant energy resources in Nigeria, inadequate
infrastructure

to

generate,

refine,

transmit/

transport

the

resources is a major issue in the energy sector which affects

almost all the part of the country. The existing infrastructures are
overstretched. Poor delivery networks resulting in poor services
16

are obstacles to sustainable development of energy services in

the Country.

Financial Obstacles:
Massive financial resources are required for energy resource
development. Unfortunately, power sector did not witness a
substantial investment from late 1970s to late 1990s. Similarly
the oil sector did not witness the increase in refinery capacity
since 1988. Government has invested about $16 billion from 1999
to

2007,

but

Nigerians

are

yet to

witness

a substantial

improvement of electricity supply.

Energy Policy Issues:

Non-passage into law of the National Energy Policy and nonimplementation of the provisions of the National Energy Master
Plan

has

been

big

setback

to

the

sustainable

energy

development of the country. Absence of energy law which will

have in it the road-map for implementation with strong focus on
achieving target results and the recommended penalties for
offenders is also an obstacle to sustainable energy development
17

in Nigeria. Government policies on energy are important in terms

of resource mobilization, dissemination and encouragement of
private sector participation.
,

Inadequate Reliable Data:

Most energy systems, especially energy planning which is the
foundation to sustainable energy development is directly or
indirectly dependent on availability of reliable and sufficient data.
The data required includes data on energy resources, energy
utilization, macro and socio-economic parameters, weather and
climate conditions. Inadequate reliable data causes a serious
setback in energy planning to achieve sustainable energy
development.

Poor Utilization of Resources:

Most energy resources in Nigeria especially the renewable energy
resources are poorly utilized due to the non-implementation of
reports on strategic planning on sustainable energy supply mix. .
Other resources are poorly utilized because the technologies are
18

inefficient in performance, some are obsolete, while some other

are not properly stored because of lack of inadequate storage
facilities in the country.

Inertia towards Change:

Inertia towards adaptation to emerging and more efficient
technologies leads to end-use energy waste and thus inimical to
sustainable energy development. Most equipment and appliances
used in homes and industries in Nigeria are old, obsolete and
energy inefficient.

Prospects

of

Engineering

Professional

Practice in Nigeria
Good Maintenance Culture:
Engineers should stick to the ethics of engineering and follow
global best practices in operation and maintenance of the
equipments. This will leads to the optimal utilization of the
equipments and may even increase the economic life span of the
system.
19

Public Private Partnership:

Since huge investment is required for the energy sector to be
sustained, a public private partnership will be the best options to
fund the sector.

Implementation of National Energy Policy:

Proper implementation of National Energy policy and National
Energy Master Plan will address a lot of issues such as optimal
utilization of resources. This will contribute immensely in the
sustainable energy development in Nigeria.
Adherence to the ethics of Engineering Profession Engineers shall
commit themselves to making the analysis, design, specification,
development, testing and maintenance of engineering systems
beneficial so as to earn respect for the profession. In carrying out
any project in energy sector, Engineers should endeavor to
maintain the standard recommended for such jobs, they should
only do works within their areas of calling. This will also solve the
problem of quarks, failed projects and systems, as is stated in the
code of ethics of engineering in Nigeria. Adherence to the ethics
20

of the profession in carrying out projects in the energy sector of

the economy will surely guarantee sustainable energy future in
the country.

Sensitizing the Public:

Engineers should take the leading role of sensitizing the public on
the importance of using improved and new technologies in the
areas of energy efficiency and conservation use of renewable
energy resources which are more environmentally friendly, design
of buildings to conserve energy etc. There should also be
awareness from the Engineers on the need for synergy among all
the stakeholders in the energy sector to achieve sustainable
energy future for Nigeria.

Conclusion
To conclude this write-up let us pause and reflect on the way
forward. We need to extricate ourselves from self-pity, docility
that pervades our rank and file. We should be ready and willing to
serve as vanguard to make engineering vibrant. We need to build
21

bridges with other professional colleagues. Engineers should be

involved in politics and assert themselves in any other areas that
pertain to decision making. They should be their brothers keepers
by empowering the younger ones and through continuous process
of capacity building. They should never shy away from expressing
themselves as their profession remains the most critical to any
development. Lastly the powers conferred to COREN by the laws
of the land should be enforced so that engineering attains its
rightful place in the scheme of things.

22

REFERENCES.
1. Engr Johnson B: Engineering Career in organized Private
Sector/Private practice, NSE Lagos Branch Technical Paper, 17th
Nov, 1998.
2. Okoro C.C: Nigerian society of Engineers and the challenge for
change, 15th Kasim Memorial Lecture, NSE Lagos Branch,
Sheraton hotel Ikeja, 14th Aug 2001.
3. Shonubi F.A: Sustainability, Professionalism and Engineering,
15th oct Lecture, NSE, 4th Oct 1996.
4.

Engineering

Ethics:

The

Professional

challenge

ethics.tamu.edu/ethics/essays/brochure.htm.
5. Engineering Design
in Engineering Practice

Professional Ethics

Professional Ethics

Software Engineering Code of Ethics

and Professional Practice literature available at the website

http://www.is.cityu.edu.hk/research/resourcse/isworld/etics/index.
htm

23

6. IEEE Inc, and the Association of Computing Machinery Inc, joint

task force on software engineering

Ethics and Professionals

practices (adaptation of original documentation).

7. Nigerian society of Engineers: Investigation and Failure analysis
Committee (IFAC) minutes and records.
8.

http//www.matscieng.sunysb.edu-Engineering

disasters

and

learning from failure.

9. http//www.enough.Cornel. edu- List of some Engineering
success and failures.
10. University of Lagos revised conditions of service governing
senior staff.
11. Okoro C.C: The search for standards for engineering practice
in Nigeria; Chairman, codes and standards committee, Nigerian
Society of Engineers.
12. Professional Ethics for engineers (IPDH) PDH Engineer.com
Course L-1002 by Edward Brunet, Jr, P.E.
13.

Code

of

ethics

for

www.ieineha.org/code ethics-pe.htm
24

professional

engineers

14. NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers www.nspe.org/code of

ethics/index.htm

25