Why we want Surveyors Act reviewed, by Lagos official
Survey
Lagos State Government has called for a review of the 1962 Surveyors Act for better infrastructure planning and development. The Special Adviser to Govenor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye made this call in Lagos at the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN), a subgroup of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), maiden national conference 2023 with the theme ‘Roles of Surveying in Infrastructural Development in Nigeria.’
In her keynote address, Adeyoye said surveyors were indispensable experts needed for accuracy in infrastructural planning and development across all sectors in the country.
She appealed to APPSN members to continually do things ethically, while calling for review of the Surveyors Act of 1962 to avert errors responsible for granting wrong approvals different from the gazetted ones.
Her words: ”The Surveyors Act of 1962 is also something that needs to be reformed. Surveys, because of the boundaries, are moving along the survey land. I am glad that the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) is here. That 1962 Act is due for review.”
Adeyoye said the 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 Sanwo-Olu’s administration in infrastructural development was made possible because of the critical role surveyors in its employment during planning and execution of the various infrastructural projects.
She also added that the state government was opening up new frontiers in the use of new technology and urged APPSN to collaborate with their colleagu`es in the public sector for advancement of the state and Nigeria.
APPSN National Chairman, Thomas Dabiri, gave a brief history of the association, its leadership and efforts to curb quackery and unethical practices in surveying.
Dabiri said the maiden yearly national conference, which was conceived 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 (NIS), its parent body.
SURCON President, Clement Nwabichie, said it was possible with the right feedback to add value to the profession and stressed the need for diversification of survey practice.
Earlier, NIS President, 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 nations 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.
He urged the experts to stop hijacking each others’ roles and also to shun superiority complexes for better synergy, as well as quality infrastructure delivery in country.
Acting Surveyor General of Lagos State, Ayokunnu Adeshina, and others who spoke at the conference stressed on the need to support the Federal Government in planning and management of developments across the country.
