Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) has promised to support Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC) and to look into the creation of National Geospatial Infrastructure (NGDI).
This was discussed when Surveyor General of the Federation, Abdulganiyu Adebomehin Adeyemi played host to the NIWRC Executive Director, Abdulmumin Mohammed Zaria with his management staff in Abuja on Tuesday.
In his opening remarks, the Surveyor-General said, “You are in the right place, we’ve a lot of data, we have a department called Hydrography, which has a lot of information, and lot of equipment too.
“We even have equipment that can tell the précis time if it will rain, however, it is not our mandate, it is the job of NIMET to do that, we have equipment which is called COR all over the country, our staff have technical know –how and there is training going on within OSGOF in data and some of your people can join the training.“
While assuring NIWRMC of OSGOF support, he said, “We have signed Memorandum of Understanding with other organizations because we have the technical know and the data, boundary issues are some of the issues you may come across.
“All boundaries problems are not the same, they come in different phases and character, we have experienced Director that can resolve boundary issues within the OSGOF”, Adeyemi added.
The Surveyor-General advised NIWRMC Boss to spend on manpower and invest on software to promote the organization job, he told him, “you must have a data center and laboratory because there are data that cannot be handled by computer anymore unless, they are kept in the cloud.“
According to the statement released from the office of the Surveyor-General, Adeyemi said, “national geospatial data infrastructure (NGDI) is one thing we have not been able to optimized, we have not been able to achieve that in Nigeria.
“We want to collaborate with all Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDA’S)they need to bring all the data back. So that we can now use it to solve some of the Nigeria’s problems in the area of surveillance, and locations of some important organizations eg hospital and so on“, he concluded.
Earlier the Chief Executive of the NIWRMC while stating his reasons for the visit said, “OSGOF is one of the offices that has core mandate to really do a lot to land we have in this country, especially with the use of data technology.
“So if my commission do not really take this office very important then we have not started, it is one of the reasons why your office is my point of call”.
He added, “We have few areas we want to leverage on your expertise and also your knowledge to solve what we have on the ground, as you know we regulate, we manage water resources, in Nigeria on and offshore. Particularly that has to do with trans- boundary.”
Mohammed said, “We want to look at the area where we can leverage within the mandate of your office, if my office and your office cooperate looking at the point that your office have expertise and we will achieve a lot”.The NIWRMC Boss stated that, “We are also looking at the area where we can develop protocol and share geo spatial data, due to your technology and the experience that you have these are some of the data you already have.
“No organization in this country has data more than OSGOF and we want to synergize on a pilot project in selected hydrological areas with collaboration model”.
The Chief Exective said, “the real Hope Agenda of Mr Presdient can be actualized when there is synergy among agencies of govt and I am sure Mr President is very passionate about that and we the appointees should also be passionate about it.
“Agencies should have areas where they can interface and do more. And to also collaborate with you to delineate and validate areas using geospatial data, to jointly map all water infrastructure to create a geo forensic areas and compliance.“Also join training and workshop in the area of capital development, collaborate in the area of digital twin mapping in the area of water resources planning and to formalize MOU and a joint technical working group and lastly to collaborate in the area of arbitration in the area of water related dispute.”
Rotimi Ojegbile, the Legal Adviser of the NIWRMC said, “Our core mandate majorly is the regulation of water use that affect trans-boundary usage i.e. water that affects more than one state. It is a constitutional and statutory mandate to regulate water use in Nigeria.”
“We have a process that is known as Integrated Water Resources Management, it is a global best practice in respect to water management. Most times people think water is infinite but it is actually finite.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management Commission seeks to collaborate with relevant agencies so that there is no degeneration that leads to loss of lives and properties. “We are looking at areas where you have the knowledge, resources and a mandate so that issues can be contained and to also properly manage our water resources.
“The Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management principle is integration of land, water and related resources for economic advancement and also in preserving the ecosystem. Basically, we are honoured to be here”.
Surv. Duniya Magaji, Head of Geodesy at OSGOF in his vote of thanks said, “we appreciate you for creating time to be in with us in order to synergize, collaborate with the office which is all to the good of the country at large.
“People do not like collaborating because of the resources attached. However, the more you collaborate, the merrier it is. We look forward to this type of gesture again”, he added.
