Following public outcry over the increase in land survey fees to about 300 per cent by the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), the body last week explained that the move was to ensure that members continue to offer quality service to property owners.
Chairman of the branch, Gbenga Alara, who spoke to media personnel, also noted that the review is within the Federal Government scale of fees for professionals in the built environment.
Alara said the review was done in the best interest of the public and consistent with the present economic realities. He said that the reviews were always carried out periodically; the last exercise was done in 2012, which is yet to reach the Federal Government approved scale of fees.
In determining the cost, he said, two components of pricing came to play, the intellectual input, the status of the land, the value of the property and the direct cost on the proposed land to be surveyed.
While appreciating the concerns of the public on the matter, he stressed that the continuous updating of the mapping of Lagos state, a very ambitious and landmark initiative yet to be surpassed by any states government in Nigeria, led to upgrade of equipment which are costly and other expensive logistics.
According to him, the full and total coverage of the state with high-resolution imagery, survey control monuments, continuous operating reference systems and an enterprise geographic information system require modern equipment.
Also, the Secretary-General of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) and Immediate past NIS Secretary General, Olumide Adewebi said the review went through the normal process and was approved by APBN.
The review, he said, give room for logistics, equipment, new tools and retraining of professionals to deliver quality service to the public.
Meanwhile, the chairman has also stressed the need to ensure that there is a policy and a deliberate interest to ensure that built surveys are carried out for all major infrastructure in public space in the state, especially along the Lekki Corridor and other urban renewal projects.
He further implored the Lagos government to patronise private practicing firms for its surveying projects like others professionals.
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