President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerian engineers to take advantage of the government’s local content policy to organise themselves into consortia to benefit from the new policy.

Speaking in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the 19th Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Engineering Assembly,  the president said the policy would promote the practice of engineering and build indigenous capacity.

Jonathan, who was represented by Mr Chris Ogiewonyi, the Minister of State for Works, said: “No nation can develop its infrastructure by relying wholly on the technical capacity of other nations.

“COREN must take, as a matter of urgent priority, the matter of building indigenous capacity in engineering to meet the challenges of helping to build our country,” he noted.

He described the theme of this year’s assembly, “Nigeria at 50: Challenges of Sustainable Infrastructural Development” as timely.

“We have reached the point in our nation when we must reflect and review what is and what ought to be in the interest of our people.

“Therefore, a discussion by COREN which focuses on the state of our nation’s infrastructure is a noteworthy contribution to our advancement,” Jonathan said.

He pointed out that Nigeria had no excuse for being in its present state, adding that national development was proportional to the development of engineering practice.

The president urged COREN to step up its standard for quality assurance as it carried out its accreditation exercise in higher institutions.

Jonathan also called on COREN to ensure that only truly tested and qualified engineers were registered to practice in accordance with the law.

He said the unpleasant stories of quacks and mediocre infiltrating into the profession ought to be a thing of the past.

On the implementation of projects in Nigeria, Jonathan lamented that the cost of construction in Nigeria was the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.

“This is a serious challenge to us all. The government will work with you to bring down the cost of construction while at the same time keeping standards,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Senate President, David Mark, called on the Federal Government to henceforth ensure that only qualified engineers were appointed as minister of works.

Mark commended COREN for choosing topics that would promote standards in engineering, adding: “There is no point running away without addressing those issues properly.”

On global competition in engineering practice, the Senate president noted that indigenous construction firms should be able to get jobs outside the country just like their foreign counterparts in Nigeria.

Welcoming participants earlier, the President of COREN, Mr Mustapha Bulama, said the council would continue to direct its efforts at maintaining professionalism in engineering practice.

This, Bulama said, would fight the menace of quackery, reduce incessant building collapse and guarantee value for money in engineering projects.