The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Oyo state branch in its bid to ensure that surveyors in the state compete favourably with their counterparts across the globe in the area of modern tools usage has trained no fewer than two hundred and fifty members of the association in the state.
NIS Chairman in the state, Prince Aderemi Kobiowu while speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day compulsory professional training themed “2018 mandatory continuing professional development programme”, on Thursday added that the program was organised in order to train surveyors in the state on technical-know-how and how to handle some modern equipment in the state.
At the event were former NIS Chairman in the state, Surveyor J.O. Shiyanbola, former Surveyor- General in the state, Surveyor I.O. Akintola and former Public Relations Officer of NIS in the state, Surveyor Dasola Adefabi and over 250 registered and practising surveyors in the state.
Kobiowu who welcomed members to the workshop, enjoined them to pay attention to the benefits of the UAV for nation building and sustainable development.
Kobiowu while speaking at the programme themed, “Mapping with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)”, which was held in Ibadan, the state capital said, “The program we are starting today, we called it mandatory, compulsory development programme. The programme is compulsory for all surveyors in the state. The programme we are having today is how to operate unmanned aerial vehicle, these equipment will fly without anyone manned it”.
He said, “The workshop is in line with NIS aim and objectives which include promoting and encouraging the training and retraining of surveyors, improvement of surveying profession and mapping through seminars, workshops, symposia, publications, the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) and education of surveyors generally.
“Reliable and accurate maps, aerial photographs and other geospatial data are indispensable for sustainable land development and land subdivision. The production of up-to-date, reliable and accurate maps or cadastral plans require well-trained manpower and Nigeria needs these highly skilled surveyors in modern mapping techniques for national development.
“The federal and state government, construction industry, private organisations and individual are called upon to engage registered surveyors in the process of reconstruction and development in various dimensions of the nation. Surveyors should be involved for full growth and expansion of the nation industries, agriculture, education and cultural institutions to achieve all-round and balanced development.
“When you use that kind of equipment, all the data you needed will be captured. Then from then, you can easily advise the individual or government how to go about it. At the end of the program, we expect that our members that have been trained on these equipment will be able to do mapping with unmanned aerial vehicle. If you want to map the whole of Ibadan or your whole village, you can use this unmanned aerial vehicle to map it”.
National President of NIS, Surveyor Charleseye David Charles while speaking urged members of the association to continue to do their work without fear or favour and display high level of professionalism in their daily activities. He urged surveyors in the state to embrace digital technology in their practice and let the training reflect in their final products.
Charles said, “I urged all members to continue to do their work with professionalism at all times. I want us to do out work professionally. I want us to work for a strong and virile professional association that will stand the test of time. That anywhere you get to they will recognise you as a professional”.
Chairman of the planning committee, Surveyor Felix Iyiola admonished participants to apply the knowledge and skill acquired to improve the nation economic growth, industrial and agricultural production.
He emphasised that national development depends largely on professional knowledge and skill as he called on the government at various levels to partner with surveyors to put necessary measures in place to reduce the impacts of natural disasters as being witnessed in the country recently.
He said, “Major towns and cities in the country are flooded and surveyors with technical know-how could produce accurate maps showing floodplains and areas vulnerable to flood, government and relevant agencies can rely on these maps to evacuate people in flood vulnerable areas and stop development within the designated areas.
“Extent of flooding and population affected can be mapped with unmanned aerial vehicle (Drone). Earth tremor being experience in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory requires geodetic measurements by surveyors to monitor and map extent of damage. Other aspects surveyors can be engaged include corridor mapping for roads, rail-lines, gas and water pipelines, transmission lines, landuse mapping, oil, gas and mineral exploration”.
Some of the areas where the surveyors were tutored include “Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” and “Application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” lectured by Surveyor Saheed Olaniyi and Surveyor Adewale Salimon.
Other areas taught at the beginning of the two-day event included “Mission Planning for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle”, “Data Acquisition (Theory) taught by Surveyor Abeeb Adeyemo and Surveyor Wale Bankole respectively. Other are “Data Acquisition (Hands-On-Practical), “Data Processing” and Information Presentation taught by Surveyor Bankole and Surveyor Adeyemi respectively.
