OGUN STEPS UP STRATEGIES ON PROPERTY, BUSINESS REGISTRATION

OGUN STEPS UP STRATEGIES ON PROPERTY, BUSINESS REGISTRATION

Towards improving property registration and the Ease of Doing Business, the Ogun State Government is set to upgrade its survey systems, services and data, to accelerate sustainable transition to a modern system, which has significantly improved revenue potentials in other States.

Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Kikelomo Longe who made this known in Abeokuta, during a stakeholders’ workshop with the theme; ‘Repositioning the Department of Survey for Sustainable Economic Development in Ogun State’, organised by the Bureau of Lands and Survey, said the approach was a key policy thrust to boost service delivery.  

Longe, who doubles as the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP) Business Enabling Environment Sector Lead, noted that the reforms would institutionalise best practice in survey, generate revenue in a fair and sustainable manner, improve land administration and business environment, that would further attract private sector investments into the State.

She stated that government in its developmental agenda has been implementing various reforms to strengthen the survey department, as well as empowering the Office of the State Surveyor-General, so as to grant it complete oversight of survey activities in the State.

“A key thrust of this approach to improving service delivery is standardisation of survey systems, services and data to accelerate the sustainable transition to a modern, electronic and automated system that has proven to have significant revenue potentials in other climes”, the Commissioner said.

Longe added that the government in collaboration with the Surveyor-General, the World Bank-funded OGSTEP and its Consultant on the project, would focus on delivering on four key areas which include, production of a five-year maintenance and training plan for the Survey department, review of existing action plan for collating survey data from private surveyors, review of survey operations and production of a business plan that would improve survey revenue.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Special Adviser/Director-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Mr. Aina Salami lamented that attempts by past administrations to introduce automation and Geographic Information System (GIS) in the State’s land administration had not addressed the challenges of double allocation of land, accuracy of survey measurement, survey data revenue, as well as delay in the processes of title perfection.

Salami stated that the event was to ensure complete overhaul of the Department of Survey in the Bureau, calling for the input of stakeholders for necessary validation of the reform before implementation.

In his contribution, the Surveyor-General of the State, Surv. (Dr) Ken-Salem Onososen, explained that the Bureau was responsible for advising the State government on formulation, execution, review of policies, programmes of surveying, mapping and other related matters, appreciating the present administration for the opportunity to appraise and plan for the future of surveyors.