Surv. Olukolade Kasim, Chairman of the Lagos State Branch of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), has urged surveyors to embrace modern technology in the pursuit of their professional careers.
He dropped this hint, in his opening address at the 2022 Conference of the Young Surveyors’ Network, Lagos State Branch held at Alausa,Ikeja.
The Chairman, who was represented by his Vice,Surv. Adedeji Sebiotimo said that current trend dictates that the use of modern technology was important in order to keep abreast with Global Best Practices.
He commended the Young Surveyors’ Network (YSN) for organising the programme, pointing out that it connotes the seriousness of the Young Surveyors to develop their potentials.
He challenged the Young Surveyors to shape the surveying profession in order for them to be successful.
In her own contribution, the Publicity Secretary of the NIS, Lagos State Branch, Surv Folakemi Odunewu, said that the conference afforded surveyors the opportunity to rub minds with a view to proffering solutions to the challenges confronting the surveying profession.
According to her, surveying is one of the professions that sets the pace in any endeavour, adding that it is an esteemed profession.
Odunewu said that surveying community is symbiotic and it is closely knitted, pointing out, that one should be involved in order to shape the profession.
Her words: “We cannot afford to stay aloof. We must continually be abreast in modern technology in order not to be left behind. Another issue is that of knowledge which is the bedrock of fully grasping the intricacies of the surveying profession”.
She pointed out, that knowledge coupled with technology was a vital tool in confronting the challenges facing the surveying profession.
In her welcome address, the Chairman of YSN, Lagos State Branch, Surv.Boluwatife Dare-Williams, said that the YSN is a sub-group of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, a member of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG).
According to her, YSN explores opportunities for synergy with relevant local and international bodies in order to deepen knowledge sharing and exposure to global best practices.
She further said that YSN creates new opportunities for young Surveyors and push for their inclusion in national surveying events and activities.
In his key note address, Surv.Adedapo Fashina, who spoke on the Theme of the Conference which is “Shaping Tomorrow Surveying Community” said that technology and knowledge, together, has been the backbone of the surveying profession? One complements the other.
He said: “I like to think that the knowledge we have, and our ethics, makes us the professionals that we are – surveyors, while technology makes us perform our tasks – surveying. I emphasised technology and knowledge because I believe they are key ingredients that makes our profession, and also makes our community.
Allow me to address them by points”.
He went on: “We are currently living in the most advance moment in human development. Technology is moving at a fast pace, such that, what we know yesterday can easily be ancient technology tomorrow. Since technology dictates how we perform our tasks, it goes without saying that our profession is also undergoing a rapid change.
“The good news is that changes bring opportunities, but let’s not forget the risks they also bring. We need to take advantage of the opportunities while we manage the risks that come with them.
“Technological changes are happening faster than ever. With the current momentum, it is no brainer to expect that they will continue even faster in the future.
“As a community, we need to respond to the challenges that they bring for the survival of our profession. We need to, so that we can deliver confidence to our clients, the government, and the public at large.
The surveying community needs to create, adapt, and adopt technologies and accept its evolutions”.
He said: “What do I mean by create?
In shaping our surveying community, we need to begin to think out of the box and create.
“As we approach the future, it is becoming more apparent that we need to partake in creating technologies that will enable us to perform our tasks efficiently and make us relevant.
“I am glad that some of us are already thinking in this light. I once had a discussion with one of our senior surveyors – Surv. Abiodun A. Awofeko (FNIS). I believe we all know him as a technology advocate”.
He was thinking of how to begin assembling affordable RTK GNSS receivers locally. At the time, his interest was to reduce our dependence on imported receivers and consequently provide affordable units to surveyors.
Whether or not he has done it, it does not matter at this point. What mattered is that he thought about it.
He conceived it. “Creating” starts from “conceiving”.
“There are a lot of creative minds in our community and beyond. As a body, we need to provide the avenue for these creative minds to flourish. Our professional bodies
need to serve as a hub that has the credibility to bridge between the tech sector and our profession”
Fashina noted, that sometimes, it might not be necessary to re-invent the wheels. But at least, we can adapt it. “What do I mean by adapt? We have our tools, no doubt. But to be relevant and stay relevant in our ever-changing landscape, we need to continue to adapt other technologies to make our jobs easier, faster, more affordable, more precise and enable us to expand our sphere of influence (by that I mean, to widen our professional reach).
He further noted, that: “We are doing this already. For example, quadcopter drones that were mainly used for recreation were adapted for use in capturing aerial images. To increase the precision of the deliverables, surveyors found ways of integrating RTK GNSS receivers on them. I guess we all know how that impacted our deliverables and relevance. Let me give another practical example from a different vantage – LIDAR. When the technology was developed back in the 1960s, it was adopted predominantly for terrain mapping. For so long, this technology was attributed to the surveying industry. It was ours alone.
“Today, the same sensor, miniaturized version of it, has found a place in autonomous driving. They adapted it for their purpose.
Fashina posited: “When next you see a new technology, or even an older one, ask the question – “how can this technology be useful to me”. Who knows, you might be the person that will find a new application to such technology for others in the community to adopt. So, then: What do I mean by adopt? Embracing and accepting new technology is and needs to remain in our DNA.
“It is important for us as a community to identify, accept and adopt technologies that will make our operations easier, more precise, and more relevant to the needs of our clients”.
“We cannot remain stuck on the past and insist on conducting operations using “archaic” tools when more modern tools can achieve similar results faster and more accurately.
“This is also true for our processes and deliverables. Our professional standards need to undergo periodic but frequent reviews. If I am not mistaking, this should
already be within the purview of FIG – Commission 1. Now the question is – “how are we managing locally”?
With rapid technological changes, we have a constant cloud of extinction hovering over our heads. However, behind the cloud is the ray of hope, of opportunities. To survive, we must rely, not only on the legislative backings our profession gets, but also on creating, adapting, and adopting technologies.
“Let me be more emphatic by stating that as a community, if we are not vigilant, we can easily move from our current state of relevance to becoming extinct. That is the risk we are exposed to. But there is a higher chance that technological advancements will aid our profession, rather than mar it. The truth is – it is up to us.
Concerning the issue of Knowledge, he submitted, that It is already an established fact that technology brings opportunities, which in turn comes with their challenges. I believe that the biggest challenge needs the most innovative thinking and innovative thinking needs diversity of thought. I also believe that knowledge sharing is better for our community and should be encouraged.
“Before I talk on “the diversity of thought” and “knowledge sharing”, let me address the fundamentals. For us to thrive as a community, we must remain sound on the fundamentals of our profession.
“We need to strengthen the fundamentals of our knowledge as if we are not exposed to the modern technologies.Example – lack of GNSS Knowledge. Talk about people getting comfortable using RTK GNSS to the point that they forget the fundamentals of GPS>
A Yoruba adage says, “Odo ti o gbagbe orisun re yoo gbe”. Which means that “a river that forgets it’s origin will dry”.
Allow me to paraphrase what I said at the beginning of this speech – Technology does not override or negates knowledge, it complements it.
“I have met a computer scientist whose knowledge of the use of Trimble RTK GNSS Receiver is very sound. Technically, he can carry out basic positioning. Does that make him a surveyor? Like I said before, he is performing the surveying task but lacks the knowledge (and ethics) that makes him qualify as a professional – surveyor. Example – Acquiring Seismic Data In The Wrong Place
He said: “So, there is a distinction between technology to perform the task and the core knowledge. Beyond our core knowledge, we must boost our supplementary
knowledge. By this, I mean the knowledge we gain through the technologies we adopt or adapt.
“To put it into perspective, knowing how to operate a total station falls in what I consider supplementary knowledge while the core knowledge is what we learn in school – the actual principles of surveying.
Both types of knowledge I have mentioned
“Our fathers in the profession must have thought ahead by creating Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (MCPD),Example – YSN TRAINING PROGRAMS .What is Diversity of Thought?
“As I said earlier, for us to be innovative, we need to think as such. Naturally, our thinking is shaped by our life experiences, culture, background, personalities, and believes. When people of different ideas come together to think through a problem, there is a higher chance of coming up with an innovative solution.
source: independent
