Nigerian Society of Engineers

Most professional courses usually have associations or forums where people with the same interest and goals come together to promote their values and the Engineering profession is not excluded. The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) is a body that caters for the professional interests of its members through constant interactions amongst members and carefully planned programs and seminars, with the goal of maintaining high professional standards and improving ethical practices.

It is therefore no surprise that the vision of the society is to be one of the very best Engineering Professional bodies in the World, with the mission of providing quality service designed to upgrade professional proficiency and development of its members at all times, making substantial contributions to the progress of technology in the world and offering excellent ideas and advice to the different tiers of government, academia, commerce and the country at large as it relates to the Engineering profession.

Established by a group of young Nigerian graduate engineers and students in the UK on 16th February, 1958, the Society was launched at the Nigerian House in London. The NSE was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a company limited by guarantee in 1967 but the original Memorandum and Articles of Association were adjusted December 1st, 1998. From inception till now, the NSE has worked and is still working continuously to uphold the purpose for which it was created.

Liaising with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, (COREN), the NSE is represented on COREN and organizes COREN’s interviews for registration. It also maintains close relations with COREN on matters regarding the Engineering Profession such as remuneration for Engineers, Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) and Mandatory Continuing Professional Development, (MCPD). There is also a relationship between the NSE and the government in relation to issues that affect the advancement of engineering within the country.

Fulfilling the requirements of a minimum of five ‘O’ level credit passes inclusive of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English Language and a minimum cut-off mark of 200 and above in the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam qualifies you to study Engineering in any of the Universities in Nigeria but becoming a part of the Nigerian Society of Engineers offers you the opportunity to interact with like minds and garner knowledge and resources that will prove useful to the practice of the Engineering profession.

You can therefore take advantage of the Student or Graduate Membership. For a Student Member, it is required that you are studying an approved engineering course of training leading to a degree in an institution recognized by the Council of the Society for the purpose of training professional engineers while a Graduate Member must have an academic qualification acceptable to the Council of the Society and approved by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

Corporate Membership is a different ball game entirely. Candidates are grouped into various categories:

A1 – Bachelor’s degree holders in Engineering whose institutions’ programs are accredited by COREN and with such candidates having been registered by COREN as professional Engineers.

A2 – Candidates who are already Corporate Members of Engineering Institutions (licensed as Professional Chartered or Registered Engineers) recognized by COREN.

B1 – Candidates who are holders of the Bachelor’s degree in Engineering whose qualifications are approved by COREN or any overseas accreditation board recognized by COREN. Such candidates must have acquired a minimum of 4 years post-qualification experience.

B2 – Candidates who obtained HND and PGD in the same field of Engineering from approved Institution and had acquired a minimum of 6 years post-graduation experience in the practice of Engineering.

B3 – Candidates who obtained HND in Engineering from approved institution and have successfully completed the NSE Graduateship Examinations and have had additional 2 years of engineering practice.

C1 – Candidates who are holders of correct and adequate basic academic qualifications by COREN Standards and Regulations who are 40 years and above. Such candidates as at the time of application must have a minimum of 10 years post-qualification experience. The candidates must appear in person.

C2 – Candidates who are holders of correct and adequate basic academic qualifications by COREN Standards and Regulations and are top executives in Government parastatals or Industries etc who are not only 45 years and above with respect of age, but who, as at the time of application have minimum of 15 years post qualification experience. They may be accorded Presidential interview through NSE branch.

To become an Associate Member of the NSE, you must have a University degree in a science course related to Engineering or a qualification approved by the Council of the Society and in addition, you must have been involved in work related to the practice of engineering for a minimum period of 5 years. Being an Honorary Fellow however doesn’t require any specific qualifications. In fact, the person might not necessarily be in the engineering profession. It is conferred on such a person by the Council of the Society because of some notable assistance such persons has rendered to the practice of engineering.

Unlike the Honorary Fellow that is conferred, a Fellow Member must have been a Corporate Member for 10 years and also fulfill the conditions stated in the Memorandum and Articles of Association of NSE. The requirements are:
• HND holders must obtain additional academic qualification(s) before Fellowship.
• All referees must be financial members of the Society and their reference letters must be received before the consideration of the application. Only the President can waive this option.
• Applicant must have attended at least 5 AGMs in the last ten years prior to the year of application.
• Applicant must have written and presented four (4) Technical/Management papers at NSE and or any other forum acceptable to the Board of Fellows. All papers must have been presented in the last 10 years.
• Applicant must have worked on some outstanding projects
• Applicant must have attended the yearly refresher Engineering Courses/Workshops to make him or her current on engineering practice and he/she must show evidence of this in the application form.
• Applicant must be active in his or her Branch and Division activities.
• Applicant’s financial status must be consistent. There must be evidence of consistency in the payment of dues to NSE in the last 5 years.
Also, a processing fee is attached to being a Fellow Member. There are two categories:
• By invitation – N2.2m. The intention is to limit the number of applicants for this category and encourage applicants by application.
• By application – N50,000

In the structure of the NSE, the President of the Society is the Chairman at every General Meeting, meeting of the Council and Executive Committee of the Society. He/she occupies the position for a period of two years after which he is succeeded by the Deputy President who is also elected every two years and automatically assumes the Presidency position at the end of the two-year tenure of the predecessor.

The Council is the governing body of the NSE and is made up of statutory members. It meets bi-monthly to deliberate on memo from the executive committee and others so as to make policies regarding the Society’s conduct and business. The Council reports to the Annual General Meeting which is an expanded gathering of members once every year.

The Executive Committee (EXCO) of the NSE consists of the President, Deputy President, Vice Presidents, elected members and nominated representatives of the various NSE divisions. The EXCO is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the management and administration of the affairs of the Society and reports to the Council.
The NSE Secretariat is housed by the National Engineering Centre (NEC) Abuja and located at plot 1035 Cadastral, off National Mosque – Labour House Road, Central Business District. Garki with email: info@nse.org.ng, es@nse.org.ng. The Secretariat is headed by the Executive Secretary who manages the day-to-day activities of the Society.

The Lagos Liaison Office is at No 1 Engineering Close, off Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island. Lagos with email: lagosliaison@nse.org.ng The NSE website is: http://www.nse.org.ng