The Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) and the Forum of States Surveyor General of Nigeria (FOSSGON) have charted a new collaborative roadmap aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s land administration, Geographic Information System (GIS) capacity, and nationwide digital mapping.
At a strategic meeting held over the weekend at OSGOF headquarters in Abuja, the Surveyor General of the Federation, Surv. Abduganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin, stressed the need to elevate the roles of State Surveyors General to the federal decision-making level.
“We need to move States Surveyor General to the Federal level so they can be part of the decision-making,” Adebomehin said in his opening remarks.
He charged FOSSGON to collaborate actively on GIS and land management initiatives, noting that the Abuja digital mapping project had already covered thousands of housing units. He emphasized that the federal government must be convinced of the return on investment in digital mapping and directed that letters be sent to governors ahead of the next phase.
Adebomehin disclosed that OSGOF had begun advanced training with Chinese partners on software and digital twin mapping capable of recognizing African building patterns. “Our target now is to use aircraft to map the whole of Nigeria. We need to develop our own capacity, and this is what I want to plead with everyone,” he said.
Surv. Duniya Magaji, Head of Geodesy at OSGOF, in his closing remarks, thanked FOSSGON for its support: “We appreciate the backup you are giving to the Surveyor General of the Federation. We wish you safe journeys back to your destinations.”
The Director of Surveying and Mapping at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Surv. Charity Michael, praised Adebomehin’s leadership, describing his reforms as “a structure and legacy that will last forever.” She urged that survey offices, including that of the FCT, be upgraded to extra-ministerial departments and warned against non-survey professionals handling GIS data.
FOSSGON Chairman and Adamawa State Surveyor General, Surv. Pwavidon Simon, said the delegation visited to deepen collaboration and celebrate OSGOF’s restored prominence. “We are here to express our happiness… OSGOF continues to play a policy formulation role, especially in infrastructural development,” he said.
Also speaking, Osun State Surveyor General, Surv. Soladoye Abioye, commended Adebomehin on his tenure extension and the elevation of OSGOF to the Presidency. He appealed for the reinstatement of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON), citing its absence as the reason no professional examinations have held.
The meeting climaxed with a joint presentation of a gift from all State Surveyors General to Adebomehin, in recognition of his achievements and leadership.
