From TCNEWS
In a determined move to curb the influx of unqualified foreign workers, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Abia State has pledged to strengthen its scrutiny of expatriates claiming professional engineering status, in a renewed collaboration with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
Speaking during an official visit by COREN’s Abia State Technical Committee (ASTC) on Friday, the State Comptroller of Immigration, Dr. S.U. Agba, disclosed that the agency has uncovered several cases of expatriates posing as professionals, some of whom are, in reality, mechanics and artisans without requisite qualifications.
“We don’t close our eyes to quackery,” Dr. Agba said. “Many expatriates claim to be engineers, doctors, or lawyers without any verifiable proof. During the 90-day regularization window, we vet their documents, and when they fail to meet the standard, we deport them.”
Dr. Agba assured COREN of full cooperation in identifying and flushing out impostors, stating that NIS conducts internal investigations through its intelligence units and works closely with local government agents to monitor foreign nationals operating in the state.“We communicate findings to our Abuja headquarters for immediate repatriation,” he added, emphasizing that blacklists are maintained to prevent re-entry of fraudulent professionals
.The visit by COREN, led by Engr. Victor Ejikeme Ihediwa (FNSE), was part of a wider effort to sensitize the Immigration Command on its statutory regulatory role in engineering practice, as established under the Engineers (Registration, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2018.
Engr. Ihediwa stressed that no individual, local or foreign, should practice engineering in Nigeria without proper registration and certification by COREN.
He pointed out that the proliferation of fake engineers, especially among expatriates, endangers public safety and undermines the profession.“Many of them do not possess the qualifications they claim. Some are mere mechanics, yet they take up critical roles in our infrastructure,”
Ihediwa said.The ASTC and the Abia State Expatriate Monitoring Committee (ASEMC), inaugurated earlier this year, are empowered to enforce compliance, prosecute violators, and uphold engineering standards across the state.
The committees are composed of seasoned professionals and representatives from key government and security agencies including the Nigerian Police Force, Ministry of Works, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers.COREN appealed for sustained inter-agency collaboration to identify illegal expatriate engineers and bring erring firms to justice.
The committees also called for support in prosecuting non-compliant foreign firms and individuals operating unlawfully in the engineering sector.“We need material and institutional support to prosecute these cases effectively. Immigration plays a vital role in identifying offenders early,” Ihediwa said.
Both organizations affirmed their readiness to uphold the Federal Government’s Executive Order 5, which mandates the prioritization of Nigerian professionals in planning and execution of national projects.
As Abia State positions itself for infrastructural and industrial growth, stakeholders including the President General of Igbo Vanguard Group (IVG) Engr. James Nnadozie Uchegbuo, believe that a rigorous enforcement of professional standards, especially among foreign personnel, is vital to sustaining quality and safety in engineering development.
