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.

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The Parliament House with the Senate and the House of Representatives are the symbols of the Abuja skyline.

 

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.

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Abuja is a modern capital city originally planned and built for this purpose.
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Meetings with the local organisers took place at the NIS headquarters in the main business area of Abuja.
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President Yakubu Maikano, NIS, President Teo together with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha.
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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.
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Meeting at the Office of the Surveyor General of Nigeria.
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Abuja is a modern city but in the suburbs you can still find African street markets.
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Information settlements in the suburbs of Abuja waiting for renovation.
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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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