The president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala has called for the development of a Pan-African Mining Engineering Competency Framework that would align curricula, training, certification, and professional mobility across the continent.
Oguntala made the call during her presentation at the Russian-African Raw Materials Roundtable Dialogue held at Mining University, Russia, in October.
In her presentation, the NSE President emphasised the importance of Engineers, effective regulation, and regional cooperation in Africa’s mining and raw materials sector.
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She stressed that the sector plays a key role in Africa’s industrial development, infrastructure, and sustainable growth.
However, she noted that realising Africa’s full potential in the mining sector depends on the competence of Engineers, robust regulatory frameworks, and coordinated regional efforts.
The president underscored Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing Engineering competencies through Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes, national regulation via the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and collaboration with regional partners.
She highlighted the need to develop new standards for mining Engineering that integrate safety, sustainability, local content, and ethical practices while fostering regional cooperation.
She called for harmonising Engineering regulation and practice across African nations, promoting mutual recognition of Engineers, and developing a Pan-African Mining Engineering Competency Framework.
This framework, she explained, should be led by Engineering societies and regulatory bodies, with a focus on aligning education, training, certification, and professional mobility across the continent.
“The future of mining in Africa will be determined not only by what we extract but, by the standards we set, the engineers we train, the regulations we hold ourselves to, and the cooperation we build across borders,” the NSE President added.
Chairman of the NSE Benin branch, Engr. Tina Emwinghare Oigiagbe, also presented on regional experience in professional certification and capacity building.
Chairman of the NSE Maiduguri branch, Engr. Muhammed Bashir Shettima, also contributed by adding another Nigerian perspective to the dialogue about improving Engineering competencies across Africa.
The event was a significant step towards fostering collaboration between Africa and Russia, particularly in the mining and raw materials industries.
