The Surveyor General of the Federation (SGOF), Abduganiyu Adebomehin, has emphasised the critical role of mapping in Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.
He advised security agencies and military operatives to consistently engage the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) when formulating security strategies.
Adebomehin gave this counsel during the week while receiving the Group Managing Director of Nembe Exploration and Production Company Limited, Ike Okoronkwo, and his management team at his office in Abuja.
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He warned that tackling insecurity without adequate mapping support would hinder the country’s efforts, stressing that Nigeria cannot afford to ignore mapping as an essential part of security architecture.
“I don’t understand how they discuss security without considering the use of maps. If security agencies subscribe to our services, we can provide them with the necessary maps because we have now fully digitalised our operations,” he said.
Adebomehin lamented that when OSGOF previously organised a paper presentation on mapping, only a few security stakeholders attended, while many failed to show up, citing various excuses.
However, he noted that those who participated later acknowledged the importance of the service.
“We have successfully digitised each state and built a connected database, except for areas where we are still gathering sufficient data,” he added.
Earlier, Okoronkwo, a University of Lagos graduate in Surveying and a former General Manager at Shell Group, highlighted the often-overlooked role of surveying in national security.
“The Office of the Surveyor General is vital when it comes to spatial data mapping and management. In some countries, surveying originally served defence purposes. When GPS technology was first developed, it was intentionally restricted for military use to prevent criminal misuse of satellite imaging,” he explained.
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Okoronkwo, who described his visit as a reconnection with the OSGOF, recounted his early involvement in digital mapping and its evolution into widely accessible tools like Google Maps.
“We have returned to collaborate with OSGOF, and this reconnection is significant for us at Nembe Exploration and Production Company.
“I am pleased to present our company’s conference bag and identity materials as a gesture of this renewed partnership. I now appreciate the immense value that surveying brings,” he said.
