Land surveyors have stressed the importance of grading practitioners based on works done and experiences as a means to improve and sustain the practice in Nigeria.
They also called for a succession plan by practitioners to guarantee quality surveying practice and growth of firms.
The call was made at the yearly Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (MCPD) programme of the Lagos chapter of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) on “Application of Close Range Photogrammetry in Facility Mapping.”
Leading the call at the two-day programme, the Managing Partner, Oak Surveys Limited, Mr. Kazim Kolade, explained that the grading would help in repositioning surveying profession in the country.
He lamented lack of decorum in the practice, stressing that it has led to disagreement in bids for jobs and engaging in unwholesome practices, especially making ridiculous bids to outsmart others, which reduced credibility of the practice.
Kolade said ‘Sustainable Professional Practice Beyond Business Owner’, could only be attained through improved structure and transparency.
Also, the Principal Partner, Map Data Services Limited, Supo Odukoya, who spoke on mentorship and shared commitment, said surveyors must look at the bigger picture by sharing the same goal.
Odukoya, who was represented by Babatunde Sanni, called for commitment, credibility, honesty and fairness in mentoring.
Also, the General Manager, Sales and Customer Service specialist at Geodetic informatics Systems Limited, Gloria Ugoh, expressed worries that eight of ten professional practices never grow beyond the owner of the practice.
According to her, this means that with exception of a few support staff, these businesses are limited to the personal sales and production capacity of just the prime owners of the business.
She stressed the need for continuous review of processes and service delivery mechanisms to ensure operational efficiency and quality service delivery to guarantee sustainability.
This, she said, involves prioritising innovation, such that the business can consistently innovate models that are able to respond to changes and volatility.
She said: “ Business owners must make brave and bold move to hire other professionals to work for their businesses, as they are now left with the daunting and frustrating task of making sure standards of excellence.
Coordinator of the programme, Olumide Adewemi, said the MCPD was informed by the research conducted by Deloitte, which indicated that out of the 90 per cent of businesses established to survive its owners, only 13 per cent of these, actually lay down strategies to ensure such businesses survive them.
Earlier, Chairman of the branch, Adesina Adeleke, said the programme was designed to keep land surveyors abreast with advanced technological developments and trends in surveying, so as to enhance skills and provide accurate data.
Adeleke explained that photogrammetric surveying or photogrammetry, is the branch of surveying in which maps are prepared from photographs taken from the ground or air stations.
According to him, it is the science of making measurements from photographs, especially for recovering the exact positions of surface points.
