Lagos Has Embarked On Technological Reforms To Enhance Land Administration – Surveyor-General

It was three days of brainstorming and policy considerations as professionals in the Office of the State Surveyor-General of Lagos State joined other stakeholders across the Nation at the Y2021 annual conference of the Geoinformation Society of Nigeria (GEOSON), held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lagos.

The three-day event, with the theme “Geospatial Technology for Sustainable Smart City and Blue Economic Development”, was convened to discuss modalities for uniform decisions on national issues relating to Geoinformation and set standards on compliance and enforcement by organisations in the sector.

Delivering his goodwill message at the event, the Surveyor-General of Lagos State, Mr. Olutomi Sangowawa, disclosed that due to cognisance that land is a scarce resource that must be administered to have a positive impact on the State’s economy, the State has embarked on major reforms to ensure that land is managed is done in a most effective and efficient manner.

He listed some of the reforms to include the Integrated Land Administration Automation System, the preparation of electronic survey plans (e-surveys), the electronic Certificate of Occupancy (e-CofO) and the Digital Mapping and Enterprise GIS, among others.

Sangowawa said the reforms were embarked upon to adopt technology “that can conduct a rapid inventory of land rights, automate and manage land records, create and maintain integrated geographic data and accurately value property.”

Revealing that the Office of the State Surveyor-General is poised to practice smartly in making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Surv. Sangowawa said Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) have been established in five stations to enhance efficient technology-based operations by the organisation.

The annual GEOSON conference is an event where Nigerians engaged in the generation and application of Geoinformation – scientists, geographers, land surveyors, geologists, planners and other professionals as well as students – come together to discuss issues around the development, advancement and application of Geoinformation technologies.