By Precious Owolabi, Ado-Ekiti:
The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) has lauded Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, for his transformative leadership in land administration and the deployment of advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) across the state.
Chairperson of the FIG, Africa Regional Network, Ambassador Mohammed Kabir, in Ado Ekiti, gave the commendation at the commencement of a five-day technical mission tagged “Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) Catalytic Intervention.”
Representing a global body of 120 member countries, FIG through its Africa Regional Network praised the Oyebanji administration’s bold reforms in modern land management.
It further noted that the state’s initiatives are enhancing livelihoods, security and economic growth through the establishment of a state-wide survey, mapping system and the groundbreaking Ekiti State Land Information Management System (EKSLIMS).
With the theme “Strengthening Innovative Approaches towards Enhanced Land Governance,” Ambassador Kabir reaffirmed FIG’s commitment to providing technical capacity, training, and international partnerships to further support Ekiti’s ongoing efforts.
He emphasised the urgency of such interventions, pointing out that only about three percent of Nigeria’s land mass has been formally documented despite more than 141 years of attempts.
This, he said, has hampered development, security and effective national planning.
“You cannot plan for what you do not know. With proper data and documentation, a local farmer can obtain a Certificate of Occupancy, use it to access agricultural inputs proportional to his farm size, and in turn, boost productivity and income,” Ambassador Kabir stressed.
Providing updates on the progress of the state’s geospatial initiative, the Technical Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Land Management, Mr. Akintobi Oluwasanmi, disclosed that Continuous Operating Reference Stations (CORS) have already been installed and are actively capturing high-resolution imagery across the state.
According to him, the new system lays a solid and accurate foundation for future development planning, effectively addressing the long-standing absence of a comprehensive master plan in Ekiti State.
Oluwasanmi further revealed that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the UN-Habitat in June 2023 has recorded significant progress and has now advanced to the contribution agreement stage, currently undergoing final legal review.
He noted that this marks a major milestone in the development of the state’s master plan, which is expected to be fully drafted within the first six months of the project’s official commencement