OSGoF, expresses readiness to migrate from NNO to WGS, to achieve world best practices
By Peter Usman://
Acting Surveyor General of the Federation, Surv. Abduganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin, has disclosed the readiness of OSGoF to migrate from the Nigeria National Origin, NNO to the world Geodetic System, WGS 84-International Terrestrial Reference Frame, ITRF 2014 for the purpose of achieving best practices in the geospatial world.
Surv. Adeyemi stated that as from 2022, all maps will be produced based on the World Geodetic System 84-ITRF 2014.
He appealed to all states across the federation to as well migrate for them to have a common reference point and avoid the burdens of conversions to bring into line with international best practices.
The Acting Surveyor General of the Federation, who made this assertion in his welcome address at a conference organized by the OSGoF in Abuja, said surveyors have enough readily available to sustain the economy of the country.
“What we are saying is that with survey, we have a lot that we can offer the world. The available data can actually be used to plan and sustain the economy of any country.
“In Nigeria, we have a reference system that is known as Nigeria National Origin and that is what we all used to, but the world has moved to International Terrestrial Reference, ITRF-14.
“We are calling on all sundries that it is high time we move to the world acclaimed reference system. It has a lot of advantages for Nigeria” he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said that to achieve food sufficiency and security, there is urgent need of applying geospatial inputs into the Nigeria agricultural system.
Fashola asserted that the incumbent administration is paying diligence to agriculture as part of efforts in achieving the diversification of the economy, with a plan in redirecting the country from the unhealthy path of mono-economy.
The Minister, who said the conference theme, “Geospatial Approach to Harness Agro Planning and Food Sustainability for Economic Development” is apt, noted that government has achieved to a reasonable level in sectors such as ICT, Creative Industry and Agriculture.
“For instance, under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme ( Phase 1) with a life span covering 2015 – 2022, introduced by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, farmers with the intervention of the private sector made about 11.60billion in 2020.
“Countries like the United States, Netherlands, Brazil and Germany with large environmental space already consumed by physical infrastructure remain top agricultural producing states” he said.
Fashola said that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, is not unmindful of the relevance of the geospatial inputs in the planning and implementation of projects.
He said the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing depend largely on geospatial data to plan and execute projects especially in the ongoing physical infrastructure expansion.
The Special Quest, Air Commodore Aikhomu Victor, who declared the conference opened, also stated that the role of surveyors cannot be over emphasized, as he pointed out that failure of surveyors can spell doom for modern day society.