- Mrs. Margaret Oguntala of the NSE attributes building collapses in Nigeria to unqualified individuals, urging the use of registered engineers for projects
- Oguntala emphasizes public awareness about hiring professionals and encourages verification of engineers’ credentials to prevent construction-related incidents
The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs. Margaret Oguntala, has attributed the issue of building collapses in Nigeria to unqualified individuals, commonly referred to as quacks, rather than registered engineers.
Speaking to journalists during an inspection of the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) headquarters project in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Oguntala emphasized the importance of engaging professional engineers for construction projects.
“We are educating people about the need to use professionals, particularly for building projects,” she stated. “Investigations have shown that collapsed buildings are not linked to engineers registered with us.”
Oguntala urged Nigerians to consult the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to ensure they hire qualified and registered engineers for their projects. She also encouraged citizens to verify engineers’ credentials through the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) before awarding contracts.
Highlighting the NSE’s proactive measures, Oguntala noted that the society has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) for their ongoing projects. She praised the NEDC’s projects, which are well-planned, designed, and executed.
“We have already nominated some of our members to collaborate with the government in developing sustainable solutions to prevent incidents like the collapse of the Alau Dam, which occurred on September 10,” Oguntala added.