The Young Surveyors Network (YSN) in Osun State has held its first conference in the state.
According to a statement made available to AMILOADED on Friday, the conference with the theme, “Sustainability In The Built-Environment’, was held at the Osun NIS Secretariat on July 29, 2021.
Delivering his Keynote address titled, ‘Interdisciplinary Blue-print for the Built-Industry’, Tpl. (Dr.) S.A. Olatunji, mnitp, the Head of Department (HOD) of Urban and Regional Planning, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) Osun State
Branch.
Olatunji explained that the hallmarks of all professions are integrity, honesty, accountability, discipline reliability, confidence and high standard of service delivery.
He clarified that there will definitely be professional interaction among professions in the built-industry because they are interdependent.
Olatunji reminded all professionals in the built-industry to work together and
avoid conflict among them whether their profession remains a unit or is subdivided to form another profession at this time where professional boundaries are either fading or created.
He observed that poverty, dishonesty, corruption and underutilisation of some professionals often creates professional conflict, making some professionals becoming jack of all trades in the built-industry and ultimately reducing standards.
The NITPICK Vice Chairman further noted that quackery is rampant in the built industry as the public could no longer distinguish the work of Surveyors, town planners, architects, quantity surveyors and engineers.
He explained further that the current situation is aggravated among
professionals through competition particularly in areas of overlap, lack of adequate legislation, poor education and enlightenment and professional arrogance.
Olatunji advised Surveyors to observe practice ethics and regulations, particularly not to delegate other professionals to their primary assignments to reduce intruders in the profession.
He further enjoined government to let any content of a construction work be done by the appropriate professional each time.
He advised professionals to collaborate with other professionals to monitor their competition grey areas, provide professional clarity and that the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) creation of enabling environment for dialogue between the professional bodies be utilized.
He said, “Inter-professional discipline and respect for each other and among us is thus very imperative. This is a sure way forward to promote professionalism. Cooperation among us will make us strong and reduce government insensitivity to its indigenous professionals.”
Olatunji further advised the academia to pursue review of curriculum of courses in the built-industry.
The statement noted that “The conference attributed the lack of good working relationship between professionals in the built industry to the poor and obsolete curriculum of programs in tertiary institutions particularly on the teaching of entrepreneurship and managerial courses.
“The conference there is now an improvement lately as the Nigeria University Commission (NUC) had approved Entrepreneurship as a complusory course and that every curriculum must now be updated every 5 years.
“It was therefore suggested that private Practicing associations must interact with tertiary institutions in order to provide improvement in the course of study.
“The conference noted that professionals encourage quackery by not committing all their time to the work by handling their work in stages. This omission encourages clients to relate more with quacks because they were always available. The conference therefore suggested that professionals not expose
the nitty-gritty of their work to non-professionals and that advocacy programs be continued on all media channels.
“The conference noted that existing Laws that would enhance cooperation by professionals in the built-industry are not being enforced and efforts to enforce them are being truncated by the professionals themselves or inadequacies in the laws. Reference was made to Land Use Act of 1978, where land is vested in the Government but people still do land transfers, surveying and planning without due input
from Government.
“Reference was also made to steps to the abandonment of the implementation of the Urban and Regional Planning Law of Osun State due to professionals failing to agree on details during interactions. The conference appealed to the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) to do its part in making the Osun State Urban and Regional Planning Law a reality.
“The conference suggested that professionals should strengthen their Ethics so that it is impossible to break laws which seem not to be implemented. It was also suggested that professionals in the built-industry must in the first place reach out to the law making agencies and educate them on the need to do things better.
“Prof. Olajide Kufoniyi, fnis, Professor of Geoinformatics and the Head of Department of Surveying, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife gave a comprehensive lecture on the technologies and trends that professionals in the built-industry can leverage on. These technologies include but not limited to Web-GIS, Cloud computing, VGI, UAS, Opensource data & software, Smartphones & other mobile technologies, Internet of Things, Digital Twin, Machine Learning/Deep Learning, Cloud computing, Big Data Analytics, Blockchain Technology, AI, Virtual Reality(VR)/Augmented Reality(AR), VGI, Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geospatial Data Infrastructure (GDI/SDI), 3DGIS/Modelling, UAS, LASER/LiDAR.
He attributed reluctance to change, Infrastructure deficit especially epileptic power supply and low internet bandwidth for downloading free & open source data as challenges of adopting these technologies in the world.
Kufoniyi explained how Cloud coverage limiting optical images has limited the adoption of earth observation images – UAS and LiDAR in Nigeria.
He advised that there should be sustained implementation of the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure (NGDI) and its policies, funding of Space and Geospatial Technology Activities, Human Capacity Building and Networking and Enablement of Infrastructure and Private Sector Simulation to encourage the adoption of these technologies.
“The conference agreed there is too much dependence on the Electricity from the National Grid. The conference therefore recommended Small Scale Hydro Power Projects and Localized Solar Power Projects to overcome the problem. The conference advised there should be a greater Political Will by the Osun State Government to ensure local electricity generation.
“The conference recommended a need to put GNSS-based National Geodetic Reference Frame into effective use. The CORS stations in Osun State should be activated so that surveyors can go about that professional work easily and with better accuracy.
“The conference recommended that there be a functioning Communication Satellite to overcome the challenges of Internet in Nigeria and that all professionals must hold electricity and internet service providers accountable to provide better services.
“The conference recommended that professionals should build their capacity and network properly by joining to various societies like ISPRS, NCA, RICS, GEOSON, etc instead of being unitary in NIS in order to broaden knowledge and accept changes. This will help the image of the profession as Surveyors are now also known as “gate keepers” via their resistance of change.”
Com. Waheed Saka, the convener of Centre for Sustained Dialogue, Lagos, discussed on the topic Roles of Professionals in Nation Building.
He noted that the uprising of agitations for many nations within Nigeria suggests that Nigeria is not a built-nation and so professionals must present themselves for nation building. He reminded attendees that Nigeria’s Founding fathers including Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello were core professionals but the downward slope started when professionals refused to participate in politics.
Saka stated that in the current situation of Nigeria unschooled lawmakers – who have limited knowledge about professions make laws, little why such laws do not facilitate nation building. The inability of professionals to participate in
politics had left the electorates with limited options in politics.
He explained that with Nigeria much rooted in Corruption and now insecurity, professionals must rise up to participate in politics. He said professionals are fond of advocacies but not taking practical steps to involve in decision making.
Saka reminded professionals that because most intelligent students become professionals, their participation in politics will greatly reduce the number of people who lack intelligence that are in the corridors of power.
He advised that professionals must engage politicians on matters and it starts from getting involved even with their own professional body.
He explained that if one can thrive as a Surveyor, there is every possibility you will do well as a politician because surveyors are known to be disciplined, focused, attentive and team players.
The conference noted that the few professionals that get involved in politics do not perform up to expectation when in power and this continues to discourage a lot other wanting to participate in politics.
However, the conference agreed that this should not discourage the youthful ones to participate in politics as the situation will be better if there were more professionals.
The conference noted that professionals often avoid politics because it is fraught will hooliganism and all manners of assaults.
However, the conference recommended that professionals must begin to encourage the family structure that strengthened our society in the past to overcome the evil-doings in the society generally so that there can be a better atmosphere for politics.
The conference also had practical sessions on operation of RTK GPS for acquisition of construction data, use of AutoCAD Civil 3D software for producing road profiles, and the use of ArcMap and IDRISI Taiga software in modelling.
Interested attendees, at the end of the sessions were able to gain better understanding of the use of the equipments and software.
Surv. J.O Oluborode, mnis, the chairman of Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN), Osun State Branch advised the attendees to hold on to what had been taught and discussed at the conference, particularly he challenged the young ones, as the leaders of tomorrow to fear God and keep his commandments in order to excel.
The attendees evaluated the conference to meet its objectives, appreciating the resource persons for doing well in addressing the topics.
Oh her part, Surv. (Mrs.) K.O. Shittu, mnis, the Acting Coordinator, YSN Osun State, thanked all attendees, sponsors, organizing committee and resource persons, especially those who have come from neighboring towns and states to attend and make the conference a successful one.
The conference was well attended. Attendance included members NIS Osun State Branch, members of NITP Osun State Branch, lecturers and students of tertiary institutions, Engineers and members of YSN Nigeria.
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