Reported by: Agande Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen
ENUGU — The Enugu State Government has officially launched a Digital Survey Management System, signaling a decisive end to land grabbing, fraudulent transactions, and illegal land allocations in the state. The announcement was made by the Surveyor General, Surv. Chime Justus, and the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) during a one-day workshop held at the Surveyors’ House, Enugu.
The workshop, organized by the Office of the Surveyor General, brought together public and private surveyors, landowners, developers, and estate agents to learn about the transition from analogue to a fully digital survey and cadastral management system. According to Justus, the initiative is part of Governor Peter Mbah’s sweeping reforms in land administration aimed at restoring investor confidence, promoting transparency, and safeguarding land ownership rights.
Speaking at the event, Justus described the new system as a “historic reform that places the surveying profession at the heart of land administration in Enugu State.” He explained that all survey data, coordinates, and professional signatures will be stored in a tamper-proof digital database, preventing duplication, disputes, or unauthorized alterations.
“This new system ensures that survey data, coordinates, and professional signatures are stored in a tamper-proof database. It will prevent duplication of surveys, eliminate land disputes, and safeguard both surveyors and landowners. Once a survey is recorded in the system, it cannot be altered or manipulated without accountability,” he said.
He further emphasized that the system will protect professional integrity, speed up approvals, and ensure traceability of all survey works.
“Land does not vanish, and now survey records will not either. Even after we are gone, our work will continue to speak for us,” Justus added, urging residents to register their properties with the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development as digital documentation provides the best protection against fraud and encroachment.
The Chairman of NIS, Enugu Chapter, Surv. Emmanuel Nnamani, hailed the reform as a revolutionary step in sanitizing land administration, noting that prior to the system, multiple allocations and overlapping surveys were common due to poor documentation.
“Before now, there were frequent cases of multiple allocations and overlapping surveys because of poor documentation. But with this new digital system, every land and survey record will now be traceable to one legitimate owner,” Nnamani said.
He added that the technology eliminates fake cadastral plans, resolves multiple claims on a single plot, and enhances the relevance of surveyors by making verification faster and more accurate.
The Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Okorie, also lauded the initiative, stating it aligns with Governor Mbah’s vision of making Enugu a top investment destination.
“Investors seek certainty and predictability in land transactions. We discovered that past distortions in survey descriptions caused conflicts and overlaps. His Excellency therefore directed the deployment of a digital survey management system that enables anyone to view their land coordinates directly on their devices, ensuring accuracy and transparency,” Okorie said.
The system, according to the commissioner, will completely eliminate boundary conflicts and overlapping layouts. He described the reform as a partnership between the Ministry of Lands, the Surveyor General’s Office, and the NIS, ensuring that every survey and allocation is digitally verifiable.
The Enugu State Government has also invested in modern survey equipment, including drones, total stations, dual-frequency GPS systems, and Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) across the state to guarantee data accuracy and precision. Workshop participants hailed the initiative as a turning point in land governance, applauding Governor Mbah’s administration for introducing technology-driven reforms that secure property ownership, restore investor confidence, and strengthen the rule of law.
With the launch of this digital survey system, Enugu State has positioned itself as a national model for modern, transparent land administration, setting a standard for other Nigerian states to emulate.
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