Acting President of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), Engr Felix Olu, has said the new act establishing the Chartered Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers of Nigeria would “separate experts from quacks” and restore decorum to the profession.

Olu said the CIEEEN bill which was passed by the Senate in June 2022, was signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari last month.

Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the inauguration of the Chairman of the NIEEE Abeokuta Chapter, the acting president said the CIEEEN “is an organisation that is to register anyone who wants to practice electrical /electronic engineering in Nigeria.”

He said the body would also “regulate their practice, compel them to seek professional improvement and require them to attend stages of examinations to obtain categories of practice certificate.”

Olu said the establishment of the body became imperative due “to the rampant menace of quackery and the need for professionalism in the practice of electrical/electronic engineering in all its ramifications.”

He explained that the NIEEE had collaborated with some other like-minded stakeholders to push for the establishment of CIEEEN by an Act of the National Assembly.“I am pleased to announce to you that the act was signed into law last month, by Mr President. Congratulations to all Nigerian electrical/electronic engineers,” he said.

Some of the advantages of the act to Nigerians, according to him, are to “separate experts from quacks. Nigerians will know how to locate experts.

“Truly competent engineers/technologists will get the right jobs for serious clients. We will, with time, mitigate failed projects, fire cases etc. EE engineering family will be tidied up and there will be decorum in the profession.

“Career pathways will become clearer for younger ones and parents who want their wards to study electrical/electronic engineering.

“There will be adequate penalty for such registered engineers who cause accidents.“There will be the right experts to investigate incidences related to the field and more standards and codes will be created in the field to make engineering services more qualitative.”Olu called on the Federal Government to drastically reduce excise duties on all components in view of challenges being faced by importers of renewable energy components

He said: “Lastly, we will also like to call on the Federal Government, in view of challenges being faced by importers of renewable energy components, who also have our members among them. Importers have had to pay avoidable demurrages due to artificial bottlenecks and this cost will usually be transferred to consumers, thereby raising the cost of renewable solutions further.

“The federal government should not only drastically reduce the excise duties on all components, but ensure that bottlenecks are removed in view of the ease-of-doing-business policy of the government.”