By Ochiaka Ugwu
The Acting Surveyor General of the Federation, Surveyor Taiwo S. Adeniran has appealed for the support of the National Assembly towards the development of the Integrated Geo-Spatial Information System (IGIS) that could help Nigeria address her multiplicity of challenges and attain huge economic breakthrough.
In a press statement released yesterday in Abuja by OSGoF and signed by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Abu I. Michael, it noted that Surveyor Adeniran made the appeal during the budget defence for the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGoF) before the joint Senate and House Committee on Works held recently at the new Senate Building in Abuja.
According to the statement, “The committee was chaired by Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, Chairman Senate Committee on Works and Honourable Abubakar kabir Abubakar, Chairman House Committee on Works”.
Surveyor Adeniran who argued that OSGoF remained a huge resource and knowledge base organization for the country said the office could also generate many revenues for the government only when the necessary facilities were put in place for OSGoF to be able to make available timely and accurate data and information from anywhere for every sector of the economy.
He observed that the government was encumbered by contending nexus of demands, but however gave reasons why OSGoF requires enough funds for its activities such as the production of street guide maps that have been done for the capital of 32 states of the federation including the FCT. Those for 4 states have not been done due to lack of funds according to him. The states are Ebonyi, Katsina, Kebbi, Osun and Jigawa.
The Acting Surveyor General listed some of the achievements of the Office to include the establishment and maintenance of more Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORSs) in various parts of the country; acquisition of 25-User Licence Multi-Spectral Satellite Imagery and Digital Elevation Model covering the entire country; review of the Survey Coordination Act of 1962 which is in the process of being forwarded to the Honourable Minister of Works; determination of Transformation Parameters from Nigerian Minna Datum to the Global Datum using local experts; acquisition of Archival Digital Data Retrieval Equipment; establishment of a High Performance Data Centre and Survey Units in the Federal Highways Department and other relevant Federal Ministries and the OSGoF Consultancy Services – Limited Liability Company.
