By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The need for surveyors to embrace modern technology as they practice and security of practitioners while in the field were on the front burner at the 2025 Nigerian Institute of Surveyors (NIS) Board of Fellows Investiture Ceremony held in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Tuesday where 39 surveyors were confirmed as Fellows of the institute.
Delivering his address, NIS President, Matthew Ibitoye, said, “Surveying, as we all know, is one of the rare professions whose relevance transcends sectors and is central to every meaningful development effort. From infrastructure to urban planning, from environmental monitoring, to disaster risk management, and from sustainable healthcare delivery to commercial enterprise, the footprints of the surveyor are indelibly imprinted.
“In today s world, where technological advancement shapes how service is delivered, I charge all professional surveyors to continue to equip themselves with emerging tools and innovations in the field.
“Embrace modern technology and geospatial intelligence, invest in capacity building, and strategically position themselves in institutions where policies are made. We must be proactive contributors, not passive observers, in shaping the future of our profession.”
The NIS President also expressed concern about failure of governments both at the federal and the local levels to provide adequate security for surveyors doing site work.
SUMMIT POST recalls that some surveyors working on a site at Ilu-Abo in the Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State recently were kidnapped, but later released.
That incident prompted calls by some government officials for NIS members to protect themselves with security agencies whenever they were going to sites for work.
But Ibitoye condemned such calls in their entirety, as according to him, clients are not given security charges, adding that the services they render are outside of security which could be threatened anywhere, including homes.
“If we are to bill security into the charges, definitely, the cost of surveying will be higher. However, it is a clear signal that the government is not living up to expectations. You can’t expect an individual to start going to the police and hire policemen to go to work.
The NIS President president however advised that since the government had failed in providing adequate security, surveyors should put in adequate measure to ensure their safety before going on site.
He also urged his members to avoid going to sites alone and to always carry out due diligence before going out.
“Before you even go out, try to do some underground work and see how safe the place is. Don’t go alone. Carry along the families that gave you work because they know the people living around them.
“In most cases, study the place very well. If they are expecting you in the afternoon, you go very early in the morning. If they are expecting you in the morning, then you go later in the night when people are yet to come up. You can also make use of technology to carry out some jobs without necessarily visiting the site,” Ibitoye advised.
Congratulating the Fellows-Elect and their families on the feat achieved, the NIS helmsman said, “I offer a word of counsel: irrespective of your age, today marks your transition into the rank of elders within the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors. You are now remote officers of the Institution, ambassadors of its values, torchbearers of its legacy, and mentors to the younger generation. You are expected to inspire, guide, and uphold the dignity of this esteemed status with grace and responsibility.
In his own remarks at the ceremony, the Chairman, NIS, Board of Fellows, Olusola Atilola, while welcoming the 39 newly admitted fellows admonished them to be of good conduct and enforce the constitution and code of ethics of the profession.
According to him, being a fellow of the profession posed an enormous duty to serve the institution and the society at large.
He charged, “Fellows are the conscience of the profession and custodians of her values and traditions. As leaders, you must provide purposeful leadership and enforce the constitution and code of ethics of the profession. You must be an epitome of integrity, honour, transparency, fair play, and accountability in all your dealings.”
The Fellows’ Investiture Ceremony of the NIS Is an annual event where it honours its members who have distinguished themselves with the highest membership cadre.
According to Atilola, “This year, 39 members (Fellows-Elect) have been found worthy of admission into the prestigious Fellowship Cadre of our Institution. The Fellows-Elect have gone through rigorous selection procedure and have been adjudged worthy in character, knowledge, and contribution to the development of the surveying profession”.