From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji launched a 3D drone aerial mapping initiative on Wednesday at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport in Ado-Ekiti to enhance land administration and attract investment.
The project aims to create a comprehensive geospatial database, streamline land management, and promote transparency.
Oyebanji stated, “By the time we finish what we are doing, it is going to open the window for investment into Ekiti State; the era of people selling one land to ten people will stop, and the era of land grabbing will stop.”
The initiative is designed to curb fraudulent land transactions, improve urban planning, and secure property ownership, making Ekiti a hub for investors.
Oyebanji added: “An investor does not have to go to the office of the Surveyor-General to sit with them because at the press of a button, you can locate every land and all houses in the state.” The month-long project will use low-altitude flights to capture the state’s entire landmass.
Special Adviser on Lands, Survey, and e-GIS, Professor James Olaleye, described the project as a step towards modernising land administration with geospatial technologies, saying it would boost revenue and eliminate blind land searches.
Surveyor Olajugba Oluropo, the project contractor, assured timely and high-quality execution, showcasing the mapping technology to officials.