Lagos: Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has etched its name in history as the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) formally inducted its pioneer graduates, charging them to uphold international best practices and raise Nigeria’s engineering profile on the global stage.
The National President of NATE, Mr Dominic Udoatan, said during the induction held at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) for its Class of 2023/2024 graduates that it was the first of its kind in a Nigerian polytechnic.
While tasking the inductees on upholding international best practices, Udoatan said that the ceremony marked a strategic step toward aligning the nation’s engineering technology graduates with global standards.
Udoatan, represented by the General Secretary, Mr Kayode Ibidapo, said that the step was particularly in alignment with the Sydney Accord of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA).
He said that the ceremony was the implementation of a manual received by COREN concerning the induction and undertaking of Engineering graduates.
The NATE president noted that the event was proof of the unstoppable growth of engineering and technology in the country, stemming from COREN’s new status as a provisional signatory to the Washington Accord.
He said it was a collective desire of NATE and COREN to promote excellence, innovation and ethical practice in the Engineering profession.
According to him, the purpose of the event is to promote professionalism and boost the confidence and self-esteem of Engineering graduates.
“Part of the criteria to join the Sydney Accord, which is for technologists, is what we are doing today – the indexing, the oath-taking, and the induction.
“With this certificate and your induction today, you are entitled to be at our professional clinics, seminars, workshops, and conferences,” he said.
Udoatan charged the inductees to uphold the ideals of COREN and NATE, maintain professional discipline and strictly adhere to the code of conduct.
He also charged them with abstaining from fraudulent practices and advancing the frontiers of technological practice.
Udoatan announced a significant reduction in the graduate membership fee for the inductees, dropping the usual N80,000 to N25,000.
He said the association would offer reduced prices for its future corporate professional examinations.
The President of COREN, Prof. Sadiq Abubakar, congratulated the graduates, stating that polytechnic engineering education was demanding, heavily practical, industry-based, and skill-oriented.
The COREN president, represented by its Lagos State Technical Committee Chairperson, Mr Aramide Adeyoye, said that the polytechnic system was the backbone of Nigeria’s technical development.
“The system produces middle-level engineering professionals who keep industries running,” he stressed.
Using a repeated power outage during the ceremony as a symbolic wake-up call to action for the graduates, Abubakar said: “Your competence and innovation will be required to rise to the occasion to renew infrastructure and knowledge.”
He highlighted COREN’s commitment to ensuring that engineering practice is safe, ethical, and globally competitive.
The COREN president urged the new practitioners to uphold Public Safety, emphasising that their first duty was safety, as a single error in Engineering could cost lives.
Abubakar urged the inductees to commit to lifelong learning, saying that they would become obsolete if they stopped learning amid rapid technological shifts.
“Be ethical and professional. Corruption is the enemy of engineering excellence,” he counselled.
In his welcome remarks, the Rector of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr Ibraheem Abdul, described the event as evocative and the first of its kind in the college’s history.
Abdul stressed the importance of Engineering in national life, adding that the institution had long desired such an event to celebrate its Engineering professionals.
The rector said it was one of the institution’s long-awaited initiatives.
He said that, apart from the general conferment of degrees, there would be special events to celebrate the men and women who had been given the degrees of the Engineering profession.
He thanked COREN for recognising the need to instil a sense of purpose and self-esteem in YABATECH alums.
In her keynote address, Mrs Omolola Adetona encouraged the graduates to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and service to society.
Adetona said that Engineering was the backbone of modern society and the students’ skills would drive Nigeria’s growth, innovation, and development.
She urged the graduates to apply their technical expertise to address societal challenges; innovate and create novel solutions, and work with diverse teams to achieve common goals.
Adetona highlighted the challenges facing Nigeria, including infrastructure deficits, energy shortages, and environmental concerns.
She urged the graduates to prioritise lifelong learning, foster collaboration, and sustain their work.
She congratulated the graduands on their achievement and urged them to stay committed to excellence, integrity, and service.
Adetona assured that the world needed skilled, passionate engineers to drive positive change.
While administering the solemn oath-taking marking their official entry into the Engineering profession, the COREN Registrar, Prof. Okorie Uche, congratulated the institution.
The registrar, represented by its Lagos Coordinator, Mr Tomide Akinnawo, noted that YABATECH had earned the status of being the number one to conduct this induction for its polytechnic and monotechnic students.
The highlight of the event was the award of the best graduating student in the Engineering Faculty to Emmanuel Aina of the Electrical Engineering Department.The drive to attain the Sydney Accord status is expected to boost the competitiveness of Nigerian Engineering technologists and technicians in the global market.
