Surveyor General Tasks States To Prioritize Surveying, Mapping For National Development

The Surveyor General of the Federation has appealed to the governor’s of the 36 States of the Federation  to uplift the status of their respective State’s Surveyor General Offices to extra-ministerial office, as nothing can be achieved by the states concerning infrastructural development without the input of Surveying professionals.

Surv. Abuduganiyu Adebomehin stated this at the ongoing 58th annual general meeting of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) holding in Edo state, according to a statement by Sani Datti, Head Press and Public Relations, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation.

He said the surveying profession is known for precision and accuracy, explaining that  surveying can help in accurately determining the positions of points, distances, and angles between them.

“Virtually without surveying there is nothing one can do; look at the ground there is surveying, in the sea there is surveying. If you want to see what isn’t visible to the eyes engage in surveying techniques, and very soon when we talk about robots coming to give food from a restaurant is surveying because that is precision”

The President of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Surv. Dr. Matthew Ibitoye earlier stated that, “It has been identified that one of the factors impeding the speedy development of any nation is the inability to identify “what” and “where” its resources are.”

He said this can be addressed through a comprehensive mapping program that has yet to receive the attention it deserves from the government, asserting that the best-developed countries are the well-mapped countries.

Surv. Mattew further stated that the government must prioritize this issue, as it is fundamental to solving many of our environmental and related problems in the country.

“The significance of surveying in any meaningful development recorded in all sectors of our country’s economy cannot be overstated. Surveyors are the custodians of accurate geospatial information, and the country cannot afford to overlook the importance of accurate, accessible, and up-to-date spatial data for national development and governance”.

“I call on governments to declare a State of Emergency on Mapping in Nigeria at small and medium scales in an effort to reposition Nigeria as a prime global investment destination in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”,  NIS President declared. 

He added that this would help in mobilization of resources and prioritization efforts to systematically update and expand mapping coverage, ensuring accurate spatial data is available for planning, decision-making, and development purposes across all sectors.