The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration and address regulatory gaps within Nigeria’s construction sector.
The strategic partnership, formalised during a recent ceremony in Abuja, aims to improve infrastructure quality, strengthen professional standards, and promote synergy between builders and engineers.
CORBON Chairman, Samson Opaluwah, described the agreement as a significant step toward optimizing human capital in the built environment.
“This MoU marks a milestone in our joint efforts to promote professional excellence, foster collaboration, and ensure the effective deployment of expertise in the development and management of Nigeria’s infrastructure,” he said.
Under the terms of the MoU, both councils will collaborate on knowledge sharing, capacity development, regulatory enforcement, and the promotion of best practices in construction and engineering.
COREN President, Professor Sadiq Abubakar, emphasized the need for unity, warning that disjointed regulatory efforts could undermine national development.
“If we continue to act as competitors instead of collaborators, Nigeria will lose. Our economy and the industry at large will suffer,” he said.
Key elements of the partnership include enhanced professional development for registered members, coordinated enforcement of standards, joint research initiatives, and the integration of CORBON-certified professionals into COREN’s Enforcement and Regulatory Monitoring (ERM) framework across the country.
Abubakar also pointed to the persistent issue of building collapses and called for legal reforms to hold developers accountable.
“Eighty per cent of the challenges we’re facing in this sector are not captured in current legislation — particularly those involving developers. This partnership provides a platform to change that,” he stated.
He revealed that COREN had initiated legislative amendments to expand its regulatory mandate and would work closely with CORBON to ensure swift passage at the National Assembly.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to ending quackery, improving safety, and delivering sustainable infrastructure through joint oversight and professional integrity.
“We are not rivals,” Opaluwah reiterated. “Today signals the beginning of a new chapter — one of collaboration, not confrontation.”
Abubakar echoed this sentiment: “We must work together, as a team, to move our nation forward and improve the construction ecosystem.”
The ceremony concluded with an exchange of commemorative gifts, symbolising mutual respect and a shared vision for the future of Nigeria’s built environment.
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