The Nigerian Institute of Civil Engineers (NICE) says the signing of the Washington Accord by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has put Nigerian engineers in the international market spaced.
Mr. Sharafadeen Olumoh, National Vice President NICE said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
NAN reports that the Washington accord is an agreement between member countries that our Engineers within the member countries, will have opportunity to work in member countries without any interference, without any further tests or certification.
“There are previous conditions that were giving to Nigerian engineering family to meet before this signature because there are minimum standards in engineering education that are required one significant among those conditions is the OBE.
” That is the Outcome Based Education. That is a deviation from the existing educational system that we have, the existing one is the curriculum based.
” There are formation of curriculum and courses which students must pass and graded after passing it, then the students are graded and graduated and the difference of that from the OB is that students graded based on what they can do.”
He said it was marrying the educational theory with the practical, somebody that has in mind that you want to invent, for example, in machine can go into a university for that purpose and begin his career, by studying, how to invent such a machine.
He said if the individual succeeded and the invention is approved and he succeeded in inventing that machine the certificate or degree or would be awarded for such an engineer based on that expertise.
” So the outcome based engineering education which Nigeria too has adopted, and COREN is giving engineering accreditation in our universities based on this particular model of an engineering education.
” Washington Accord signatories are granted the mobility of the engineering personnel within member countries. So Nigeria was duly granted the signatory status though Nigeria is not yet a permanent member.
“With this status Nigerian engineers are able to move within these member countries and then practice without hindrance and it will improve certainly the engineering practice within Nigeria.”
Originally signed in 1989, the Washington Accord, is a multi-lateral agreement between bodies responsible for accreditation or recognition of tertiary-level engineering qualifications within their jurisdictions who have chosen to work collectively to assist the mobility of professional engineers.
Currently there are 21 signatories that make up the Washington Accord, Nigeria is the second African signatory.
Some of the signatories to the WA are Australia, Canada, South Africa, Indonesia, United Kingdom and the United States of America. (NAN)
