Dangiwa Harps On Capacity Building, Institutional Collaboration To Strengthening Surveying Practice. 

* says strengthening synergy with the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors is strategic, necessary. 

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has stated that a sustained capacity building and strong institutional collaboration is a strategic pathway to strengthening surveying practice, land administration, and sustainable urban development in Nigeria.

The Minister made this declaration when he received the chairman and members of the Board of Fellows of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors who paid him a courtesy visit in his office,  Thursday,  February 26th, 2026

Arc. Dangiwa said that the Ministry is fully prepared to partner with the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors to develop and implement structured training and professional development programmes aimed at equipping surveyors—particularly young professionals.

According to the Minister, capacity building remains the most sustainable mechanism for institutional strengthening and professional excellence.

“Capacity building is the only way to properly develop the young professionals coming on board and raise our standards and best practices. It is critical to promoting professionalism in surveying and mapping and ensuring sustainable development across the country,” he stated.

Dangiwa disclosed that the Ministry is currently experiencing a significant human resource gap due to large-scale retirements, revealing that over one thousand staff members have retired within the last two years.

This development, he explained, makes collaboration with professional institutions even more imperative, particularly in the areas of training, mentorship, and knowledge transfer to ensure continuity, institutional memory, and improved service delivery.

He emphasized that the Ministry houses a substantial number of surveyors in the country and provides government oversight to relevant professional bodies. As such, strengthening synergy with the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors is both strategic and necessary.

Arc. Dangiwa further noted that the core mandates of the Ministry - housing development, land administration, and urban development—are inherently linked to surveying and geospatial services.

He stressed that effective land administration cannot be achieved without close collaboration with surveyors and other land professionals within the Ministry. He also highlighted that a branch of the Office of the Surveyor-General is domiciled within the Ministry under the Cadastral Department, further reinforcing the institutional linkage between both bodies.

Accordingly, he described the existing relationship between the Ministry and the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors as strong and evolving, adding that the collaboration must be deepened to support ongoing reforms and infrastructure expansion initiatives in the housing sector.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Board of Fellows of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Surv. Alabo Charlesye David Charles, stated that the visit was aimed at strengthening institutional cooperation and exploring strategic areas of mutual interest.

He listed the areas of collaboration to include;

*  capacity building: development of tailored training and professional development programmes aligned with the Ministry’s operational needs.

*  Institutional collaboration by strengthening structured engagement between the NIS and the Ministry to enhance policy implementation and professional standards.

* geoinformatics and technical support: Leveraging surveying and geospatial technologies to advance land administration, housing development, and urban planning initiatives.

* enhancing national geospatial data frameworks to support housing and urban development projects across the country, and 

* promoting and enforcing high standards in surveying and mapping to ensure accuracy, transparency, and sustainable development outcomes.

Surv. Charles reaffirmed the Institution’s readiness to work closely with the Ministry in advancing professional excellence and supporting national development goals.

A major highlight of the visit was the conferment of the title of Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors on the Honourable Minister in recognition of his contributions to housing and urban development and his support for professional advancement in the surveying sector.

The investiture ceremony is scheduled to hold on April 30, 2026. Arc. Dangiwa graciously accepted the honour and expressed appreciation to the Institution for the recognition.

The meeting underscored the shared commitment of both institutions to advancing professionalism, strengthening geospatial governance frameworks, and supporting Nigeria’s housing and urban development agenda through strategic collaboration, innovation, and human capital development.

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development remains committed to fostering partnerships that enhance technical capacity, promote best practices, and drive sustainable growth in the housing and land administration sectors.