LASG, experts seek review of Surveyors Act
The Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, on Wednesday called for review of the 1962 Surveyors Act, for better infrastructure planning and development.
Adeyoye made the call in Ikeja while delivering a keynote at the Maiden National Conference of the Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN),.
APPSN is a subgroup of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS).
Adeyoye, at the event, spoke on the theme “Roles of Surveying in Infrastructural Development in Nigeria.”
She said Surveyors were indispensable experts needed for accuracy in infrastructural planning and development across all sectors in the nation.
The Special Adviser appealed to APPSN members to continually do things ethically, while calling for review of the Surveyors Act of 1962.
She said this was to avert errors responsible for granting wrong approvals different from the gazetted ones.
“The Surveyors Act of 1962 is also something that needs to be reformed.Surveys, because the boundaries, are moving along the survey land. And I am glad that the President of SURCON is here. That 1962 Act is due for review,” she said.
Adeyoye said the Lagos State Government was digitising its operations and needed collaboration of APPSN to ensure accuracy and efficiency in development planning in the state.
She said success of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration in infrastructural development was made possible because of of the critical role of surveyors in its employment planning and execution of the various infrastructural projects.
“Surveyors provide the essential services required for infrastructure planning and development that is fundamental to maintaining and improving the quality of life in a safe and smart mega city as Lagos,” she said.
She added that the State Government was opening up new frontiers in the use of new technology and urged APPSN to collaborate with their colleagues in the public sector for advancement of the state and Nigeria.
APPSN National Chairman, Mr Thomas Dabiri gave a brief history of the association, its leadership and efforts to curb quackry and unethical practices in surveying.
Dabiri said the maiden annual national conference which was concieved by his predecessor was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors.
He reeled out programmes of the association and listed roles being played by the APPSN to complement the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, its parent body.
The President, Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON), Clement Nwabichie invited members to a meeting for Thursday where issues on proper regulation would be raised.
Nwabichie added that, it was possible with the right feedback to add value to the profession and stressed the need for diversification of survey practice.
Earlier, while declaring the retreat/conference open, President, Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Dr Kayode Oluwamotemi, said formation of APPSN ended government interference in the sector.
Oluwamotemi lauded commitment of members and appealled for synergy while urging them to embrace technology for efficiency.
The Guest Speaker, Prof. Olumide Ogundipe, said the private sector was the catalyst for growth of nstions and listed relevant areas surveying contributed to administration, energy, telecommunication, power, environment, judiciary and other spheres.
He said it was important for surveyors to take their rightful place as the bedrock of development while calling on all professionals in the construction industry to restrict practice to areas of competencies.
Ogundipe, a professor of Civil/Highway and Transportation Engineering, Ekiti State University, urged the experts to stop hijacking each others’ roles.
Ogundipe urged them to shun superiority complexes for better synergy, for quality infrastructure delivery in Nigeria.
Acting Surveyor General of Lagos State, Mr Ayokunnu Adeshina and others spoke on the conference being a critical platform for discussion of important infrastructure issues for economic growth.
They stressed the need to support the Federal Government in planning and management of development across the nation.
