The Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN) on Wednesday in Lagos called for skills upgrade and adoption of technology, for advancement of the profession and the nation.

APPSN, a subgroup of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Lagos State Branch made the call at its 2023 Annual General Meeting and Luncheon.

APPSN Chairman, Mr Ibikunle Adaranijo, who was re-elected, said the branch was partnering with some firms to help its members acquire good survey equipment to catch up with new trends.

He said that the Lagos State Government in 2019 remapped the whole of the state, hence the need to upgrade equipment of its members through an installmental purchase plan with some firms.

Adaranijo said that all old Certificates of Occupancy issued in the state before the period were affected, hence the need for the experts to purchase new equipment for precision in charting.

“Without that instrument, there will be serious problems upon problems in Lagos State,” he said.

According to him, surveying is the bedrock of all development, but errors of the past resulted in cases of building collapse, which the association, the  State  Government and other stakeholders were working to resolve.

Adaranijo said the theme “Re-Engineering Professionalism in Private Practice Sector Towards Service Delivery” was apt toward addressing challenges for growth of Nigeria.

He said that the association was taming quackery and recently apprehended a quack who was impersonating experts by using fake Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) numbers to execute shoddy jobs.

The Chairman said that the projects executed by the accused person failed, which led to complaints, leading to investigation and arrest of the quack.

He also called for use of the APPSN application to check the list of certified surveyors online.

The Guest Speaker, Mr Tope Ojo, said surveyors must migrate from analogue methods and use technology to upgrade business models to advance the practice and Nigeria.

He said that better technology could help people chart land from whatever distance and address several societal problems.

Ojo, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, listed requirements for professionalism to include training, certification, experience, integrity/character, among others.

He also listed qualities that make professionals stand out to include soft skills, networking, negotiation, emotional intelligence, leadership skills, marketing, business model and business strategy.

“A business model describes how an organisation creates, delivers, and captures value, in economic, social, cultural or other contexts.

“The process of business model construction and modification is also called business model innovation and forms a part of business strategy,” he said.

An Architect, Mr Fola Jibowu, who represented the Special Guest of Honour, Mr Kayode Anibaba, called for government regulation mandating the public to patronise surveyors and other professionals before embarking on projects.

This, he said, would curb the problem of ignorance, noting that a lot of people were not aware of physical development rules.

“Government legislation has to make the citizenry more aware to make them know that they must contract or consult professionals before they do anything from purchasing of the land to designing, to construction,” he said.

Chairman, Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Mr Kolade Kasim, stressed the need to be meticulous in checking activities on site to curb infractions which may not be noticed.

He said practitioners must look inwards towards tackling problems within, for excellence in service delivery.

Other speakers gave insights on how to create more awareness as surveyors and other built environment professionals were not permitted by law to advertise.