Consult Registered Surveyors Before Buying Land – NIS
The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Oyo State chapter, has urged Nigerians to always consult a registered surveyor before buying land to avoid conflicts.
The Chairman of NIS, Lamidi Waheed, said this at a rally organised in commemoration of the 2025 Global Surveyors’ Day on Friday in Ibadan
Global Surveyors’ Day is marked every March 21 to celebrate the contributions of surveyors and raise awareness about the profession.
The theme of the 2025 celebration is: “Shaping the New World on the Wisdom of Surveying.”
Waheed noted that only a surveyor could ascertain the status of a particular land, whether such land falls under the government acquisition or already purchased by someone which could lead to conflicts.
It is important to engage surveyor before paying for a land so that necessary investigations will be conducted on such land to avoid being scammed,” he said.
He observed that one of the challenges facing the profession was the activities of land grabbers, especially while working on the site.
He noted that surveyors have legal protection that protects every legitimate member from being victimised by land grabbers while on the site.
With this law, beating-up a surveyor on the site attracts 10 year imprisonment.
The highest thing that a land grabber can do is to ask us leave the site and we’ll leave peacefully and report to our client, we strongly condemn any form of brutality of land grabbers against our members,” he said.
Olusoji Adeoye, the Oyo State Surveyors-General, called for more collaboration among the NIS, the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria and the office of the surveyor-general to achieve effective land administration in the state.
Adeoye lauded the administration of Gov. Seyi Makinde for creating enabling environment for surveyors to thrive in the state.
He noted that estates and various road construction projects embarked on by the governor had enhanced the services of surveyors in the state.
Earlier, the Oyo State Commissioner for Lands, Housing, Survey, and Urban Development, William Akin-Funmilayo said contributions of surveyors could not be over emphasised considering the important role they place in settling land disputes.
Akin-Funmilayo charged the NIS members to prioritise integrity in the discharge of their duties by avoiding all forms of sharp practices.
He urged surveyors to let the fear of God and the interest of the people be their guiding principles, while rendering service to the public.
The programme also featured lectures on the importance of surveyors, road shows and awareness campaigns on land matters across major motor parks in Ibadan.
