The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) have partnered with the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) to address the issue of engineering failures in the country. This collaboration aims to equip engineers with dual competencies that combine engineering expertise with forensic investigation skills. The partnership was announced during the induction of the inaugural cohort of Certified Forensic Engineering Failure Investigators (CEFFI) in Abuja.
According to Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki, President and Chairman of CIFCIN, engineering failures can have severe consequences, including loss of lives, public resources, safety, and institutional trust. He cited statistics from a 2026 engineering study, which identified 111 validated building collapses in Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, resulting in 321 deaths and 344 injuries. This averages to approximately 32 deaths and 34 injuries every year within that dataset.
Dr. Gashinbaki further highlighted the economic impact of engineering failures, citing a recent analysis of documented incidents between 2022 and 2025, which estimated at least ₦4.6 trillion in destroyed goods, property, and business assets. This translates to roughly ₦1.15 trillion annually across that dataset. He emphasized that the economic and human cost of engineering and infrastructure failure is too substantial for Nigeria to rely on reactive investigation.
The partnership between COREN, NIBRRI, and CIFCFIN aims to address these issues through a multidisciplinary approach, combining engineering, forensic science, law, regulation, and investigation. Dr. Gashinbaki charged regulators, project owners, contractors, professional bodies, and law-enforcement agencies to end the era of engineering failures being met with repairs, abandonment, or silence. Instead, he advocated for an era of evidence-based accountability.
COREN President, Engr. Prof. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar, described the collaboration with CIFCFIN as a significant milestone for Nigeria's engineering profession. He stated that the partnership was designed to equip engineers with dual competencies that combine engineering expertise with forensic investigation skills. This development is expected to lead to safer infrastructure, stronger institutions, better stewardship of public resources, and ultimately, the protection of human life.
The certification program for forensic engineering failure investigators is considered necessary at this stage of Nigeria's national development. It aims to preserve technical evidence required to support regulatory and lawful enforcement processes in cases of suspected negligence, fraud, malpractice, or deliberate compromise of safety. The program is expected to promote a culture of accountability and transparency in the engineering profession.
The partnership between COREN, NIBRRI, and CIFCFIN has been described as a union of engineering, forensics, regulation, and law enforcement. Its far-reaching consequences are expected to include safer infrastructure, stronger institutions, better stewardship of public resources, and ultimately, the protection of human life. The collaboration is a step towards addressing the challenges posed by engineering failures in Nigeria.
Key points
- The partnership aims to equip engineers with dual competencies that combine engineering expertise with forensic investigation skills.
- Engineering failures in Nigeria have resulted in significant economic and human losses, with 321 deaths and 344 injuries reported between 2015 and 2025.
- The partnership between COREN, NIBRRI, and CIFCFIN aims to promote a culture of accountability and transparency in the engineering profession.
