FIG President meets FIG members and government representatives in NigeriaNigerian Surveyors Welcome All Surveyors to FIG Working Week 2013 in AbujaAbuja, Nigeria, 6-10 March 2012
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.
16 March 2012 |
