By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, NIS, has appealed to the federal government to reconstitute the boards of all the federal government parastatals that were dissolved since 2023, including the council of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON).
This is as it also urged to the National Universities Commission (NUC) to allow professional bodies programmes to have accreditation courtesy of such bodies.
The President of NIS, Dr Matthew Olomolatan Ibitoye, made the call in Enugu on Tuesday at the 59th Annual Meeting/Conference held at the International Conference Centre, ICC, Enugu.
On the dissolution of the boards of federal parastatals as it affects the body, Ibitoye pointed out that it has made the regulatory function of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) impossible for about two years and sues that the board be reconstituted.
“Permit me to briefly address a matter of serious concern to our profession – the dissolution of the Boards of all federal government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies, which took effect on the 16th of June, 2023.
“This action significantly affected our regulatory body, the Surveyors Council of Nigeria, SURCON, hindering it from performing it’s statutory functions. Nearly two years have passed, yet the federal government has not reconstituted the SURCON Council. This prolonged delay has undoubtedly hampered the effective and smooth execution of its responsibilities.
“We use this opportunity to appeal to all concerned to take the issue of constituting SURCON Council as a matter of urgency and priority,” he appealed.
Lamenting that NUC stopped the accreditation of the programmes of professional bodies, Ibitoye pointed out that bit does not augur well for professional bodies, hence the appeal.
“Another pressing issue affecting our profession is the recent circular issued by the National Universities Commission, NUC, titled, ‘Stoppage of Multiple Accreditation of Academic Programmes of Professional Bodies by Professional Bodies in Nigerian Universities,’ since 20th May 2025.
“While we appreciate the NUCs intention to streamline accreditation processes and reduce administrative burdens on universities, the exclusion of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria, SURCON from the list of professional regulatory bodies permitted to continue their oversight is misguided, unjust, and inconsistent with existing law,” he pointed.
He noted that SURCON was established by the government and should not be toyed with.
“The statutory mandate directly pertains to the professional competence of Surveying and Geoinfoematics graduates. No circular or administrative directive can override a legislative instrument. SURCONs mandate remains valid until amended or repealed by the National Assembly.
“We therefore call on relevant authorities to respect the law and uphold the integrity of our profession for the sake of our future professionals,” the NIS president said.
Speaking at the occasion, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State who declared the conference open said the state has been aligning with professional bodies such as NIS to make the environment safe as well as maintain the aesthetic value of the state
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Prof. Chidiebre Onyia, Mbah said that the Geographic Information System (GIS) has helped the state to fight quackery in land administration, reduce land dispute and made land acquisition easier.
Speaking specifically on the theme of the Conference, “Harnessing Geospatial Intelligence in the New World,” Mbah said it had helped the state to ensure transparency, accessibility and integrity of land documentation.
He pointed out that with the Enugu Geographic Information System in place, they had been able to curtail land disputes and environmental degradation.