APPSN tasks property owners on new Lagos mapping information

Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN), Lagos Chapter, has called on building owners, developers and landlords to seek information to understand adjustments to property locations in the new Lagos survey mapping.

According to its Chairman, Mr Ibikunle Adaranijo, this has become imperative for building owners and developers in order to get familiar with the slightly adjusted physical location of the property in the state.

He explained that the Lagos State Government had done new survey mappings which had changed the measurement parameters, thereby affecting Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) issued as far back as 30 to 40 years ago.

Adaranijo disclosed this during the association’s 2022 Annual General Meeting and Luncheon, themed, ‘Professionalism and Longevity: Addressing the Dimensions of Wellness and Personal Health’.

APPSN is a subgroup of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS).

Adaranijo stated that the new survey mapping had slightly adjusted the physical location of the property which required different technological equipment for surveyors to be able to catch up with taking accurate measurements.

He emphasised that the government has remapped the whole of Lagos, which has changed the whole coordinates

“If there is a new owner and he wants to do a change of title, the location would have been shifted, so the new technology is helping us in solving the problem. We will continue to enlighten our clients,” he said.

To key into the new development, the APPSN’s chairman said the professional body has created a new Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS), which is currently being used in Lagos State.

“With that, there is no way we can use the old instruments,” he said.

Adaranijo said that instrument procurement was one of the problems, hence, the association’s partnership with instrument vendors to procure RTK Multiband GPS (Emlid) receiver for members to pay in instalment.

“This instrument procurement scheme till date has about 45 subscribers while over 120 surveyors are currently accessing the CORS service even from the Office of the State Surveyor-General,” he said.

He advised property owners to seek clarification from surveyors on how to have a reassessment of their mapping

Speaking on the proposed Surveyors Estate, he said, over 520 practising surveyors in Lagos deserved decent affordable homes, saying that the project would take off before July.

“My main aim is for those who are still tenants,” Adaranijo said.

He said the association was adopting measures to ward off quacks while appealing to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos to ensure surveyors were engaged in all projects.

He also called on all tiers of government to carry surveyors along in roads, housing and all projects to stop building collapse and construction failure across the nation.

“Even when constructing bridges, surveyors must be involved because we are the ones that have the instrument and can know where the soil is sinking to avert building collapse or construction failure.

“Surveyors are the foundation of everything. If you want to construct a road, you must call a surveyor even before an engineer,” Adaranijo said.

He also gave details of the health care plans for members while reeling out achievements of his administration last year.