Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN) has stressed the need for professionals to leverage on technology to bridge productivity in the country, saying the importance of science and technology in a given society cannot be under –estimated.
APPSN, a subgroup of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Lagos State branch who stated this at its 2023 Annual General Meeting and Luncheon held in Lagos said the branch was partnering with some firms to help its members acquire good survey equipment to catch up with new trends.
While fielding questions from journalists, APPSN chairman, Mr Ibikunle Adaranijo, who was re-elected, explained that Lagos State government in 2019 remapped the whole of the state, hence the need to upgrade equipment of its members through an installmental purchase plan with some firms.
He pointed out that all old certificates of occupancy (Cs of O) issued in the state before the period were affected, saying there is the need for the experts to purchase new equipment for precision in charting.
“Without that instrument, there will be serious problems upon problems in Lagos State,” he said.
Adaranijo who affirmed that surveying is the bedrock of all development, pointed out that past errors resulted in cases of building collapse, which the association, the state government and other stakeholders were working to resolve.
According to him, the theme `Re-Engineering Professionalism in Private Practice Sector Towards Service Delivery’’ was apt toward addressing challenges for growth of Nigeria, adding that the association was tackling the problem of quackery in the profession.
While lamenting the activities of quacks in the profession, he said they recently apprehended a quack who was impersonating experts by using fake Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) numbers to execute shoddy jobs.
The chairman said that the projects executed by the accused person failed, which led to complaints, leading to investigation and arrest of the quack.
Also, the guest speaker, Mr. Tope Ojo, said surveyors must migrate from analogue methods and use technology to upgrade business models to advance the practice and Nigeria, saying better technology could help people chart land from whatever distance and address several societal problems.
