Why Nigeria Needs Geomatics Varsity — Oyo Central Senator

With the rapid technological advancements sweeping through all sectors in the world, the country cannot afford not to upgrade a specialist institution like the Federal School of Surveying in Oyo to the best possible standards, Senator Yunus Akintunde has said.

The All Progressives Congressm (APC) chieftain, who currently represents Oyo Central in the Senate, made this known in his reaction to the passage of his Bill on Federal University of Geomatics for second reading in the Senate.

The Bill, which seeks to upgrade the Federal School of Surveying to University status, had been proposed for the first time by the lawmaker in July 2024.

According to Akintunde, “The proposed establishment is an upgrade of an existing preeminent institution of higher learning known as the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo. It is important to state that it is the first school of surveying in Africa and the oldest Technical Training Institution in Nigeria having been founded on July 1, 1908 (about 106 years ago).

“The School currently produces professionals in the field of Geo-informatics which includes Land Surveying, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Photo/Lithography, Hydrography, Cartography, Geographical Information System (GIS) and other related courses for the Surveying and Mapping Sector, which will serve the veritable purpose of boosting the nation’s economy. Going forward, it will be in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration,” Akintunde noted.

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It would be recalled that the chief whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Monguno, who represents Borno East, had supported the Bill by highlighting the importance of the institution in filing the expertise gap in the Surveying sector in Nigeria.

Monguno had noted that the establishment of a university was long overdue as “it will complement and even improve the manpower needed to make surveying in Nigeria reach international standards.”

Similarly, the deputy chief whip of the Senate, Lola Ashiru, who represents Kwara South, had also supported the Bill, noting that the importance of surveying to “agriculture, land administration and even security” was extensive.

He also emphasised the long-standing contributions to learning in surveying by the institution, laying emphasis on the fact that the school is more than 100 years old.

The second reading of the Bill was unanimously adopted by the Senate and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, consequently referred the Bill to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund for further legislative actions.