The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) has advised the Federal Government to initiate proper geospatial mapping of the nation. It said that doing so would help in the war against terrorists, banditry and other criminal activities. The NIS lamented that the current maps in operation was done in 1965 and already obsolete, noting that the first thing government should do is mapping of the country to see where the criminal elements are.
The surveyors stated this in a communique at the end of their 56th yearly general meeting/conference with the theme: “Mapping Policies, Strategies and Spatial Infrastructure for Sustainable E-governance in Nigeria,” which took place in Ado-Ekiti from Monday, July 25 to Friday, July 29, 2022.
“With good mapping, we should be able to tackle insecurity. We are ready to partake and make Nigeria secure and governable. The map we are referring to today was that of 1965 or 1966. Certain percentage, according to the United Nations (UN), must be earmarked yearly for mapping, but we don’t do this in Nigeria.”
The NIS, which appealed for wholly implementation of the Survey Co-ordination Act 1962, further said: “There is poor awareness of the fundamental role of surveying and mapping in the realisation of e-governance in the public and private sectors.
“Governments and private sectors are encouraged to engage the services of relevant surveying practitioners in the discharge of crucial surveying and geospatial components of any natural resource and infrastructure developments in Nigeria.
“The National and State Assemblies and other relevant legislative organs should formulate appropriate policies and strengthen the enforcement of laws guiding erection of buildings and other infrastructures to check incessant cases of building collapse to safeguard the loss of life and properties.”
The NIS boss lamented governments’ neglect of local experts that can offer better and cheaper expertise for foreign expatriates, saying this was killing the profession.
“The governments should as a way of patronage allow professional surveyors to monitor roads, buildings and other public infrastructures to ensure safety, cost effectiveness and durability,” Oluwamotemi said.
 has advised the Federal Government to initiate proper geospatial mapping of the nation.){kind=link}