Oyebanji flags off aerial mapping of Ekiti to enhance land administration

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Wednesday launched a ground-breaking 3D drone aerial mapping of the state in a bid to enhance land administration, boost investment, and establish a comprehensive geospatial database to support development projects across the state.

Speaking while flagging off the exercise at a brief ceremony held at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, Ado-Ekiti, Governor Oyebanji said the initiative was designed to implement a comprehensive land administration solution that would enhance the government’s planning capacity and improve service delivery to residents.

The Governor described the exercise as a game-changer for the state’s development.

Highlighting the transformative potential of the project, Governor Oyebanji noted that it would streamline land management, promote transparency, ensure security of property ownership, enhance urban planning, and position the state as a hub for investors.

He further explained that the aerial mapping would put an end to the persistent issues of fraudulent land transactions, curb the menace of land grabbing, provide accurate land records, and eliminate loopholes that have been exploited for land-related irregularities—thereby making the state more attractive to both local and foreign investors.

Expressing optimism about the transformative impact of the initiative on the state’s economy, Oyebanji said, “By the time we finish what we are doing, it is going to open the window for investment into Ekiti State, the era of people selling one land to ten people will stop, the era of land grabbing will stop.

“An investor does not have to go to the office of Surveyor-General to sit with them because at a press of a button, you can locate every land and all houses in the state. So, it is a revolution and I am happy it is happening today.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Lands, Survey and e-GIS, Professor James Olaleye, said the exercise marked the beginning of the modernisation of the land administration system in Ekiti.

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He said this would be achieved through the use of cutting-edge geospatial technologies to improve land administration, infrastructure planning and management, secure land tenures, eliminate blind searches for land, and boost the state’s internally generated revenue.

While commending Governor Oyebanji for his visionary leadership—particularly in leveraging innovation and technology to drive development—Professor Olaleye stated that the aerial photographic mission would fly at low altitude to capture every inch of the state’s landmass.

He added that the project, which is expected to cover every nook and cranny of the state, would last for one month.

The contractor handling the project, Surveyor Olajugba Oluropo, commended the state government’s forward-thinking approach in setting a new standard for land administration in the state.

The aircraft took off for the commencement of the mapping exercise shortly after the brief ceremony.

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