Metallurgical and Materials Engineers Registration Board Bill

What Is This Bill?

The Metallurgical and Materials Engineers and Scientists Registration Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (HB. 2146) is a legislative proposal to establish a dedicated federal statutory body for the registration, regulation, and professional development of metallurgical engineers, materials engineers, and materials scientists practising in Nigeria. The Bill seeks to create a distinct registration board with its own legal mandate separate from the general engineering regulatory framework under the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), thereby conferring sector-specific professional recognition, setting competency standards, and enforcing ethical practice in Nigeria’s metallurgy, materials science, solid minerals, and manufacturing sectors. The Bill was introduced at First Reading on 28 May 2025.

Who Does It Target?

Metallurgical engineers, materials engineers, and materials scientists practising in Nigeria’s mining, solid minerals, steel, foundry, ceramics, polymers, composites, and advanced manufacturing industries Academic and research institutions offering programmes in metallurgy, materials science and engineering, mineral processing, and related disciplines who seek accreditation of their curricula by the proposed Board Steel and iron production companies, mining firms, cement manufacturers, glass producers, petrochemical companies, and automotive parts fabricators that employ metallurgical and materials professionals Federal agencies including the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), which interface with the profession in licensing, safety, and quality regulation Foreign metallurgical and materials professionals seeking to practise in Nigeria who must obtain Board registration and demonstrate qualification equivalence Young graduates and students in metallurgy and materials engineering programmes seeking a clear, dedicated professional certification and career pathway recognised by a statutory body

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Establish the Metallurgical and Materials Engineers and Scientists Registration Board of Nigeria as a statutory body corporate, empowered to register, licence, and regulate practitioners in metallurgy, materials engineering, and materials science across Nigeria Create a distinct professional register and certification framework that recognises the specialised nature of metallurgical and materials science practice, separate from the general engineering framework under COREN Set and enforce minimum standards for academic qualifications, professional competence, continuing professional development (CPD), and ethical conduct for all registered practitioners Support Nigeria’s solid minerals development agenda by building a credible pool of locally certified metallurgical and materials professionals to drive the value-addition, processing, and manufacturing of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources Protect public safety and product quality by ensuring that only qualified, registered professionals supervise and certify work involving metals, alloys, structural materials, and advanced materials in construction, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure Facilitate international recognition and mobility of Nigerian metallurgical and materials professionals by aligning the Board’s standards with global benchmarks set by bodies such as the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and ASM International

Key Features

Statutory Board: The Bill establishes the Metallurgical and Materials Engineers and Scientists Registration Board of Nigeria as a body corporate with perpetual succession, a common seal, and the power to sue and be sued, modelled on similar professional boards such as the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria Scope of Regulation: The Board’s jurisdiction covers the full spectrum of metallurgical and materials practice, including ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, mineral processing and extractive metallurgy, physical and mechanical metallurgy, ceramics, polymers, composites, biomaterials, semiconductor materials, and nanomaterials Registration & Licensing: All persons practising metallurgical engineering, materials engineering, or materials science professionally in Nigeria must obtain and maintain Board registration; practising without registration will constitute a criminal offence under the Act Accreditation of Programmes: The Board will be empowered to inspect, assess, and accredit university and polytechnic programmes in metallurgy and materials science, ensuring graduates meet minimum competency thresholds before entering professional practice Disciplinary Framework: The Bill is expected to establish a disciplinary tribunal with powers to investigate misconduct, suspend or revoke registration, and impose professional sanctions on members found to have violated the Board’s code of professional conduct Governing Council: A governing council comprising registered practitioners, academia, government representatives, and industry stakeholders will oversee the Board’s policy direction, examinations, and regulatory activities Professional Designations: The Board will confer professional designations such as Registered Metallurgical Engineer (RMetE), Registered Materials Engineer (RMatE), or equivalent, providing practitioners with nationally recognised credentials Dual Sponsorship: Co-sponsored by Hon. Paul Sunday Nnamchi and one other member, reflecting legislative support from practitioners and industry advocates within the House of Representatives

Current Status

Legislative Stage: First Reading — introduced on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 during the 10th National Assembly, Second Session (Order Paper No. 176) Sector Context: The Bill arrives amid Nigeria’s renewed emphasis on solid minerals development as a diversification pillar under the Tinubu administration — the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has prioritised lithium, cobalt, iron ore, and gold as strategic minerals, all of which require qualified metallurgical professionals for processing and value addition COREN Relationship: Currently, metallurgical and materials engineers are registered under COREN alongside civil, mechanical, electrical, and other engineering disciplines; this Bill would create a specialist regulatory home for the profession, like how medical specialists have distinct colleges alongside the general medical registration framework Next Steps: Second Reading and floor debate; referral to the relevant House Committee (likely Industry, Mines and Steel, or Special Duties); public hearing; committee report; Third Reading; transmission to the Senate; Presidential Assent upon concurrent passage

How to Access

Practising Metallurgical & Materials Professionals: Upon enactment and the Board’s constitution, apply for registration by submitting academic qualifications, professional experience records, and references from registered practitioners; pay the prescribed registration fee and meet any examination or assessment requirements set by the Board Recent Graduates: Graduates of Board-accredited metallurgy and materials engineering programmes should apply for graduate membership as a pathway to full professional registration; engage with the Board’s continuing professional development (CPD) framework to accumulate required practice hours Employing Companies: Mining firms, steel producers, cement manufacturers, and engineering consultancies should verify that all metallurgical and materials professionals in their employ hold valid Board registration upon the Act’s commencement to ensure legal compliance Universities & Polytechnics: Academic institutions offering metallurgy and materials science programmes should apply for Board accreditation of their curricula, laboratories, and faculty to ensure their graduates qualify for professional registration Foreign Practitioners: Foreign metallurgical and materials professionals seeking to work in Nigeria must apply to the Board for registration, demonstrate qualification equivalence, and obtain a practising licence before commencing professional activities in Nigeria Legislative Tracking: Track the Bill’s progress at nass.gov.ng | House of Representatives portal Contact: House of Representatives: nass.gov.ng | Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development: solidminerals.gov.ng | Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN): coren.gov.ng

Important Terms

Metallurgical Engineering: The branch of engineering concerned with the extraction, processing, fabrication, and performance of metals and alloys including mining metallurgy, physical metallurgy, mechanical metallurgy, and process metallurgy Materials Science & Engineering: An interdisciplinary field that applies physics, chemistry, and engineering principles to study the structure, properties, processing, and performance of materials including metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, semiconductors, and biomaterials Registration Board: A statutory body established by an Act of the National Assembly to regulate a profession by maintaining a register of qualified practitioners, setting standards, accrediting training programmes, and enforcing professional conduct CPD: Continuing Professional Development, the structured ongoing learning and skills-updating activities that registered professionals must undertake annually to maintain their registration in good standing with the Board Accreditation: The Board’s formal recognition that an academic programme meets the minimum standards required to produce graduates eligible for professional registration without accreditation, a programme’s graduates may not qualify for Board registration COREN: The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the existing statutory body regulating all engineering disciplines in Nigeria; this Bill would carve out metallurgical and materials engineering as a separately regulated profession

Impact & Metrics

Nigeria holds Africa’s largest deposits of solid minerals including over 44 identified mineral types lithium, iron ore, coal, lead-zinc, gold, and tin valued at an estimated US$700 billion; the development of these resources into finished products requires a certified cadre of metallurgical and materials engineers that this Board would produce and regulate Nigeria’s steel industry, anchored by the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and Delta Steel Company, has been stymied for decades partly by inadequate human capital in metallurgical engineering; a dedicated registration board would accelerate the professionalisation and deployment of the skills needed to revive these assets The Federal Government’s target to grow solid minerals revenue to US$1 billion annually by 2025 and diversify away from oil dependence is directly dependent on expanding Nigeria’s capacity to process and value-add minerals domestically a function squarely within the scope of metallurgical practice Global demand for critical minerals particularly lithium, cobalt, and nickel for EV batteries and energy storage creates export opportunities for Nigeria; a regulated metallurgical profession would ensure that processing meets international quality and safety standards required for export markets The establishment of a dedicated Board would give Nigerian metallurgical and materials professionals a stronger basis for international recognition through mutual recognition agreements with bodies such as IOM3 (UK), ASM International (USA), and the Engineers Australia Metallurgical College Nigeria’s construction, automobile assembly, aerospace maintenance, and defence manufacturing sectors all rely on materials specification, quality assurance, and failure analysis services that registered metallurgical and materials professionals are uniquely qualified to provide

Official Resources

Website: nass.gov.ng | solidminerals.gov.ng | coren.gov.ng | son.gov.ng Bill Reference: HB. 2146, Metallurgical and Materials Engineers and Scientists Registration Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2025 Contact: House of Representatives Committee on Industry or Mines and Steel, National Assembly Complex, Abuja. Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Abuja. Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Abuja Summary prepared using the Policy Summary Template — Source: House of Representatives Order Paper No. 176, 28 May 2025; 10th National Assembly, Second Session, Federal Republic of Nigeria — March 2026

Legal Framework

Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999; Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Act; Engineers (Registration) Act; Science and Technology Act; Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act