The Surveyor-General of the Federation (SGOF) Surv. Abuduganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin, has said that Nigeria needs to properly map the country in order for it to be in charge of its affairs.
The Head of Information and Public Relations, Henry David, said he made the remark while fielding questions from reporters in his office this weekend.
Adebomehin said: “It may interest you that the last topographical map of flying of Nigeria was carried out by the Canadian government between 1966 and 1970. There has never been any other mapping of the country as a whole.
“So, there is need for us as Nigerians to be in charge of our affairs. And if you want to say we are Nigerians, we want to be in charge of our affairs, then it means we need to properly map Nigeria.”
While appealing for more funding, he said: “One other thing is, looking at the geospatial sector that we are in right now, there’s need to change our server, it was acquired about 30 something years ago and there’s need to change that server.”
The Surveyor-General added: “When you are talking about the server, modern day server goes for as much as 220,000 U.S. dollars or 230,000 U.S. dollars.
“If, today, the surveyor is the person that would determine and define Nigeria, the equipment we have it, the personnel we have trained are on ground. Now, where do you keep those data? The data has got to be in the server. And such data cut across some government agencies and for decision taking.”
While explaining that some areas in the country are prone to earthquake, he cited the case of an area in Abuja popular known as Mpape, saying what happened there on two occasions shaking the entire area was a mild earthquake.
Adebomehin appealed to Nigerians to support President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in all his programmes in his Renewed Hope Agenda, not only in surveying.
He argued there are many good programmes, saying, “We would start seeing the effect of those programmes.”
He advised that there is nobody that would come around and develop our country for us. “So, Nigeria for Nigerians” he said.
