FIG Working Week 2013 in Nigeria – Environment for Sustainability

Abuja, Nigeria, International Conference Centre

Welcome by surv. (Hon) Bode Adeaga, fnis, President Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, NISD

I feel privileged to welcome you on behalf of  International Federation of Surveyors,FIG and the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) to the 2013 FIG Working Week in Abuja, Nigeria.
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Top 10 Environmental Issues

Read on to know what are some of the top 10 environmental issues that need to be addressed with immediacy.

NIMET’s 2013 seasonal rainfall prediction

Last weekend, our own meteorologists, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, briefed Nigerians about what to expect from the weather this year. The Director-General of NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom, said that the rainfall pattern in most parts of Nigeria was likely to be similar to that of 2012, however some areas in North-Western parts of the country, which also fall within the catchment area of River Niger, are predicted to have a total rainfall that may exceed that of 2012. These are Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara states and environs. He advised relevant authorities to use the NIMET’s updates issued regularly to control possible adverse impacts, while pointing out that the forecast was not automatic as the predictions could change due to climate change. In his words, ‘‘The conditions that determine rainfall pattern over Nigeria have become more variable due to the effects of climate change and global warming.’’

learn how to use Google Map Maker to improve your Google Map Part 1

 Sometime in April 2011 Google opened up the U.S. map for editing in its Map Maker application, allowing web developers and any user, for that matter, to add places, edit places, add roads, and review edits made by others on the Google Map.

Map Maker gives you the capability to edit Google Maps directly, giving you access to correct errors you may find, add missing points or places of interest, roads, monuments, business locations.

Google Map Maker allows you to add and update geographic information for millions of users to see in both Google Maps and Google Earth. Once your edits are made and approved you will provide the world a more accurate view of the locations and points of interest that are under your appraisal.

Rigours of the Surveying Profession

Rigours of the Surveying Profession

The fact that the profession is associated with several hours of fieldwork under the intense African heat is enough reason to discourage the new comers. This is coupled with the fact that the remunerations are not commensurate to the amount of time and energy put into each survey work. The other issue is the high cost of purchase of surveying and geoinformatics equipments. It is difficult for both the professionals and institutions afford even on a rental basis. This is coupled with the fact that the models of surveying equipment change very frequently. In a continent with so much poverty, it will be difficult to cope with the cost of purchasing new equipment almost every two years.
The other is the know-how on the application of the relevant software. The other issue to deal with is the inconsistent supply of electricity to power the computers for the processing of the field data. In the case of manual equipment, manual computations and final presentations becomes an inevitable puzzle. The combination of the above act negatively on the survey products in terms of the delivery time and values to be added.

(Surveying and Geoinformation in Africa: Problems and Prospects Peter C. NWILO and Dennis A. OSANWUTA, Nigeria)