FIG President meets FIG members and government
representatives in Nigeria
Nigerian Surveyors Welcome All Surveyors to FIG Working Week 2013 in
Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria, 6-10 March 2012
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NIS President
Yakubu Maikano, newly appointed Surveyor
General Peter C. Nwilo, President CheeHai Teo and
immediate NIS Past President Olusola Atilola outside the
OSGOF and SURCON Headquarters in Abuja. |
The Parliament House with the Senate and the House of
Representatives are the symbols of the Abuja skyline.
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FIG President CheeHai Teo and FIG Director visited Nigeria 6-10
March 2012 to prepare and discuss with the local organisers the arrangements
for the FIG Working Week 2013 that will be held in Abuja, the capital of
Nigeria. During their visit they met with the three Nigerian member
associations, representatives from different public institutions and several
local surveyors. The local interest and support to the first FIG Working
Week to be held in Sub Saharan Africa is huge. It is expected that
2,000-3,000 participants will attend this main FIG conference next year. The
Working Week 2013 will be interestingly be the second time when the General
Assembly will be held in Nigeria. The first FIG PC Meeting in Africa was
held in Nigeria in 1976. The dates for the Working Week 2013 were confirmed
to be 6-10 May 2013.
During the visit the theme of the Working Week was confirmed to be "Environment
for Sustainability". It will recognize the need to enhance the relevance
and role of the surveying profession in the sustainability of evolving
and dynamic physical, social and economic environment. The sub themes
include Environment for better cities and better life; Environment for
sustainable habitat; and Megacities and its environmental consequences. The
conference should also respond to question like "How relevant are the
professionals to handle urban sprawl and in their role in reducing informal
settlements?"
The local host of the Working Week is the Nigerian Institution of
Surveyors, NIS whose current President Yakubu Maikano will be the
Congress Director of FIG 2013. NIS will work in close co-operation with the
other two member associations: the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors,
NIQS and the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV.
The organisers have also got confirmation of substantial support from the
Nigerian Government. His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has
promised to be the grand patron of the Working Week. The Federal Minister of
Works Arc. Mike Onolememen will personally attend the Working Week in
Rome where he will host the farewell reception.
During his visit President Teo visited the House of Parliament where he
met with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka
Ihedioha and MPs. The meeting with President Jonathan had to be
postponed on the last minute and replaced with a meeting at the Ministry of
Works with Permanent Secretary Bukar Goni Aji who also presented the
greeting from President Jonathan. At all meetings the government
representatives confirmed their extensive support to the conference and that
the security issues have been already discussed and are given the first
priority to guarantee an outstanding Working Week.
The visits included also a meeting at the Office of the Surveyor-General,
where the newly appointed Surveyor General Dr. Peter C. Nwilo
welcomed the FIG President. Dr. Nwilo is also well-known to FIG because of
his participation to FIG activities over many years. OSGOF is having its
headquarters in the same house as the Surveyors Council of Nigeria,
SURCON. SURCON President Olugbenga Adekoya also received the
delegation in his offices.
The organisers of the Working Week expect that up to 3,000 surveyors will
attend the Working Week in Abuja. As an indication of the local enthusiasm
300 Nigerian surveyors have registered to this year's Working Week in Rome.
This promises good both for Rome and Abuja.
Abuja is a modern capital city originally planned and built for this
purpose. |
Meetings with the local organisers took place at the NIS
headquarters in the main business area of Abuja. |
President
Yakubu Maikano, NIS, President Teo together
with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka
Ihedioha. |
President
Teo signing the guestbook at the Ministry of Works
together with Permanent Secretary Bukar Goni Aji
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NIS delegation after the visit to the Ministry of Works in Abuja. |
Meeting at the Office of the Surveyor General of Nigeria. |
Abuja is a modern city but in the suburbs you can still find African
street markets. |
Information settlements in the suburbs of Abuja waiting for
renovation. |
Traditional pottery making in villages is a government support
project.
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President
Teo preparing for the Working Week 2013 in a
traditional Nigerian costume at a dinner hosted by NIS to recognise
his visit here accompanied by President Yakubu Maikano and
the immediate Past President Olusola Atilola |
16 March 2012
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