NIS decries dearth in surveyors in Nigeria

The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) on Thursday lamented the acute shortage of surveyors in the country, blaming it on the non-accreditation of surveying and geoinformatics programmes in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

National President of NIS, Matthew Olomolatan Ibitoye expressed this displeasure at the 58th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference held in Benin City, Edo State.

Describing how the shortage of qualified manpower has negatively impacted the profession, he said there are approximately 33 universities and 34 polytechnics in Nigeria, but only few of them can train surveyors.

According to him, “I wish to highlight the urgent need for investment in our educational institutions that train surveying and geoinformatics professionals.

“Currently, these institutions suffer from shortage of qualified and adequate lecturers, resulting in a poor lecturer-student ratio.

“Other factors such as lack of adequate modern equipment and a poor teaching environment, often contribute to the non-accreditation of surveying and geoinformatics programmes in most institutions.

“Current statistics show that we have approximately 33 universities and 34 polytechnics offering surveying programmes in Nigeria but fewer lecturers, indicating a dire situation,” Ibitoye said,

He urged the federal government to urgently intervene and recruit more lecturers to man these institutions of learning so that the wide gaps could be bridged.

Commenting on Nigerians leaving the country in droves, the national president of NIS appealed to the federal government to look inward and see how the issue could be addressed in the shortest possible time.

The president further called on the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki to help upgrade the Edo State Survey Department to an extra ministerial status and to be named the office of the Survey General of Edo State which should be likened to its counterparts in Ogun, Lagos and other states presently.

Declaring the 58th AGM and Conference open in Benin, the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, represented by his deputy, Godwins Omobayo, welcomed the association to the state and wished them peaceful deliberations.

The governor, further assured them that the issue raised as regards the upgrade of the Edo State Survey Department to an extra-ministerial status would be looked into and will be addressed.