The Federal Government has introduced a compulsory one-year training for all engineering graduates from universities and polytechnics in Nigeria before they can proceed for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The new requirement was announced ahead of the 33rd Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Assembly scheduled for July 14, 2025, in Abuja.

COREN President, Professor Sadiq Abubakar, explained that the training will serve as a residency programme where fresh graduates will gain real experience in their areas of specialisation.

Graduates who do not complete this one-year training will not be recognised as engineers in the country.

The residency will involve working with engineering organisations, and after completing it, the participants will then be eligible for NYSC.

The training period will count toward the process of registering with COREN as engineers or technologists.

Abubakar said the initiative is not entirely new, but it is being revived and made compulsory.

He noted that this development would help improve the skill set of engineering graduates and ensure that Nigerian engineers are prepared to operate both locally and internationally.

He also revealed that COREN has signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement with professional engineering bodies in Europe, Asia, and the Americas under the International Engineering Alliance.

This agreement allows Nigerian engineers to have wider global recognition.