… Says role critical to national planning, devt
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has urged surveyors across the country to guard their profession jealously, against unwholesome practice by quacks.
He said guarding the profession against quacks was necessary as their role was critical to national planning and development.
Sen. Umahi stated this at the opening ceremony of the 2-day 2023 Survey Coordination and meeting of the Advisory Board on Survey Training Conference holding in Makurdi, from November 29-30, 2023.
While commending the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGoF) for making
the conference a reality, Umahi who was represented by the Director Infrastructure Surveys OSGoF, Sally Ekagbo,
said “The effects of surveying and mapping for speedy and proper expansion of any sector of the economy are wholesomely psychedelic, and this makes the role of surveyors most critical to national planning and development.
“The profession being noble must be jealously
guarded particularly against unwholesome practice by quacks.”
He said the theme for the conference, “Collapsing of Professional Boundaries by Emerging Technology: Challenges before the Surveyors” was therefore apt and most timely to ponder upon especially by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration that is fully committed to achieving the transformational “8-points Renewed Hope Agenda”.
“When one deeply reflects on some of the varieties of surveying such as the Land Title, Commercial/Residential Boundary, Lot Splits and Boundary Line Adjustments, Plotting
Services and Lot Staking, As-Built or Record Drawing, Aerial Surveying and Mapping,
Wetland and Environmental Surveying, Sub-surface Utility Locations, Elevation
measurements, Hydrographic and Mean High Water and Topographic Surveys, one cannot
help, but appreciate the wide range of coverage of surveying and mapping as the
necessary foundation for many fields and professions including civil engineering,
construction, urban planning, environmental sciences, infrastructural development and
disaster management.”
He noted that the surveying profession has gradually become urbane because of advanced technology and other emerging trends including Drones and Aerial surveying, 3-D Laser Scanning and 3-D Model Creation, as well as Geographic Information system (GIS) and Mapping Software.
“I am glad to say that the adequate use of geospatial data remains the foundation of
the success story of Lagos State principally when the incumbent President was the Executive Governor of the state between 1999 and 2007.
“This administration is determined to transform the socio-economic space of Nigeria; the surveyors will definitely be carried along.
He request the OSGoF to avail his office the outcome of the conference, and also make presentation for possible Federal Executive Council (FEC) resolution towards the main streaming of geospatial data especially by MDAs in all projects and programmes of the government.
“This is important in order to also ensure the promotion of quality and curbing of waste of public funds,” he said.
Earlier, the Surveyor General of the Federation, Surveyor Abduganiyu Adebomehin called on government at all levels to imbibe the resourcefulness of scientific approaches and geospatial applications in their decision taking, planning and implementation.
He stated that scientific approaches and geospatial applications have prompted the advancement of countries of the world.
“They have continued to soar in all spheres because of their ample dependability on geospatial technologies,” the Surveyor General said.