Surveyors have called for improved funding for government agencies saddled with the responsibility of data collection.
The Surveyor General of the Federation, Mr Samuel Taiwo, said the surveyors made the call in a Communique issued at the end of the 54th Surveyor Coordination and Advisory Board on Survey Training and Conference on Friday in Abuja.
The conference themed:`Geospatial Information: Achievement of SDGs and Good Governance,` was aimed at ensuring effective implementation of the survey coordination Act of 1962 and its subsequent amendments to achieve the statutory roles of the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGF.
Taiwo said the conference observed that government agencies saddled with the responsibility of data collection were inadequately funded, hence, they lack enough proceeds to move ahead in terms of improvement in delivering quality services.
“The government and relevant authorities should encourage institutions offering surveying and geo-informatics to employ more lecturers to meet the required ration of lecturers to students,“ he said.
He said the conference had resolved that surveyors in Nigeria should involve deeply in research to identify challenges within their environment, in order to evolve geo-spatial inputs that could help mitigate such challenges.
Taiwo said that states surveyor general yet to be upgraded to `Extra-Ministerial Department (EMD)` to seek the advice of the OSGF and other states already upgraded, to fast track their upgrade to EMD.
He called on surveyors to keep themselves abreast of the necessary needs and products of government to solve contemporary socio-economic challenges.
He also said OSGF should liaise more with oil and gas industries, other stakeholders to improve their participation in the subsequent conferences and among others.
Edited By: Kamal Tayo Oropo/Sadiya Hamza (NAN)
