Surveyor-General blames emergence of slums on absence of maps

Nwilo who spoke at a Forum in Abuja also noted that Nigerian cities were not mapped to ensure structured development.
“You have slums because development came without mapping. A lot of our cities are developing without maps. The cadastral map is one thing that is not available in this country.
With a topographic map, at appropriate scale, you will know where every structure should be. You will know where to put your drain.
If you don’t have a drain why wouldn’t you have slums?
“But if you have a topographic survey, you will, in advance, know where every structure should be, where to provide information for your drainage system.
But we don’t have that in a civilised society because they know the importance of survey and mapping. If you don’t map an area you cannot manage it. And that is the main reason we are having slums.’’
He said government should have a policy of effectively monitoring infrastructure, including bridges and dams.
He said that geo-metric monitoring of heavy infrastructure would guide the appropriate agencies of government to regularly maintain the facilities.
“I hope you know every dam must be monitored. But do we monitor? We do not. I hope you know that every large structure must be monitored. Do we monitor? No. So, these things must, as a matter of deliberate policy, be done. If you don’t the consequences are very grievous. So, I am saying that those bridges should as a matter of deliberate policy be monitored. I am also saying that all the dams should be monitored.’’
The Surveyor-General of the Federation said his office was in discussion with the Ministry of Works on ways to conduct regular and effective monitoring of bridges and major dams in the country. (NAN)