The President of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Dr. Matthew Ibitoye, has urged the Federal Government to establish a coordinated National Geospatial Data Infrastructure in line with global best practices.
Ibitoye made the call on Tuesday, during the opening ceremony of the 59th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Institution held at the International Conference Centre in Enugu.
He emphasised the importance of NGDI in achieving sustainable development and supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 7-point agenda, particularly in infrastructural development.
He said, “It is time for Nigeria to establish a coordinated National Geospatial Data Infrastructure (NGDI) in line with global best practices.
Such a framework will significantly support the actualisation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 7-point agenda-especially in infrastructural development and position geospatial intelligence as a key enabler of national progress.
“Geospatial intelligence plays a crucial role in various sectors, including governance, urban planning, agriculture, environmental management, and disaster response.
Its applications can drive national progress by providing actionable insights and a comprehensive understanding of spatial environments, infrastructure, population dynamics, and natural systems.
However, the application of geospatial intelligence faces challenges such as data gaps, high technology costs, shortage of skilled personnel, and concerns about data privacy.”
To address these barriers, Ibitoye stressed the need for sustained investments in infrastructure, capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration among government, academia, the private sector, and civil society.
The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors also expressed concerns about the prolonged delay in reconstituting the Surveyors Council of Nigeria and the recent circular issued by the National Universities Commission, excluding SURCON from the list of professional regulatory bodies permitted to continue their oversight.
Ibitoye commended Enugu State’s efforts in repositioning itself as a hub of investment and tourism through strategic physical development and land administration reforms.
Your Excellency, we are impressed by your administration’s transformative efforts in repositioning Enugu State as a hub of investment and tourism through strategic physical development and land administration reforms,” he said.
He, however, revealed that the Institution has also established a multi-million-naira Continuous Operating Reference Station in Enugu State, which will significantly improve the accuracy of geospatial data for the Enugu State Geographic Information Service, boundary demarcation, and natural resource mapping
