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resources beneath the earth surface must be explored, the energy entrapped in 
waterfalls must be converted to power, The navigability of rivers must be 
investigated. Towns and country side must be planned. It is therefore of fundamental 
importance that a system of evaluating this primary asset of man must be evolved. 
Human resources are also vital, lt is here that surveys and maps come in, 
2.2 ln other words, the development of natural resources depends on the existence 
of surveying and mapping services. Professor Brandenberger shows in his 'Study on 
the Status of World Cartography '2the deplorable situation about surveying and 
mapping in the developing countries of Africa, South America, and Asia. It is 
unfortunate that the list of countries covered in this study is relatively small and 
this would undoubtedly have affected the result, although it is not likely that the 
situation would have been significantly different, One may perhaps advise that 
for this type of study it may be necessary to take account of the peculiar situation 
of poor communication in many of the developing countries. There is also the 
restriction placed on information about surveying and mapping in some countries for 
security purposes. Whatever one may think about the merits or otherwise of this, 
the situation exists. Therefore, where response has been lacking or not forthcoming 
on information on surveying and mapping, it may be prudent to make a direct approach 
to the officer concerned by name. 
2.3 Brandenberger's study also shows that in almost every case in the developing 
countries funds are being grudgingly allocated to surveying and mapping. As a 
resul t the necessary surveys and maps are not available for overall planning for 
economic and social development including such vital requirements as census 
enumeration, This of course is a policy of penny wise pound foolish or cent wise 
dollar foolish. Because development projects cannot be executed without surveys 
and maps, it has often been necessary to resort to piecemeal surveys and maps to 
satisfy the demands for individual projects. This of course inflates the cost of such 
projects. Accurate census enumeration have been eluding many developing countries 
because maps at the appropriate scales are not available for census operations and 
the large sums of money voted for census enumeration have been money thrown down 
the drain. lt is of vital importance that those who are in the fore-front in the 
formulation of policy or of decision making should be made aware of the vital role 
of surveying and mapping in the scheme of things and accord the surveying profession 
its appropriate status in society. 
3. PROFESSIONAL SELF ASSERTION 
  
3.1 Surveyors have sometimes been referred to as silent workers. They are usually 
in the forefront of developments, but they seldom blow their own trumpets and their 
pioneering role are often overlooked. The time has come when surveyors must remove 
their toga of modesty and blow their own trumpets if need be from roof tops. It has 
been said that 'if you do not say "| am" nobody will say "You are". The surveyor 
must learn to say loud and clear "| am" for others to respond and say "You are" , 
Coker 3