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The development of each remote sensing centre is phased into two parts, loosely referred to 
as a "phase of the project"'. The first phase involves the acquisition of necessary capability by 
the Centres to be able to respond to the remote sensing needs of the contracting member States 
Jnd at the same time, to develop capabilities of the member States to provide much-needed 
(remote sensing) services for the judicious planning and development of their natural resources 
and the monitoring of their environment including drought and desertification where applicable. 
f^^ "ccond stage is actual involvement in project execution through provision of consultancy 
services and engagement in relevant research, the results of which are to be disseminated widely 
to all the possible users, 
Al! the centres without exception are pursuing the first phase of their development. The 
training of trainers has been made possible by grants and fellowships provided by some donor 
countries but there is still some inadequacy in the number of trained applications experts; the 
depth of training has to be increased as well. Let us have a brief overview of the remote sensing 
activities of each of these centres. 
4.21 Regional Centre for Training in Aerial Surveys, lle—Ife (Nigeria) 
Established in October 1972 as a training centre in aerial surveys, photogrammetry, photo 
interpretation and aerogeophysics, it has recently added remote sensing to its activities. For the 
past one year, it has been conducting short co''rses of six-week duration in photo-interpretation 
in related fields of resource development (geological interpretations, land cover/land use manage- 
ment etc). Conventional aerial photographs (black and white and infrared) are used as the centre 
is yet to acquire satellite imageries and necessary skill to use them both in its training programme 
and for project execution. The courses organized at technicians’ and technologists’ levels in pho- 
togrammetry are of the same quality as those offered in reputable institutions abroad. Over 350 
African nationals from at least 22 African countries have, todate, benefited from such courses. 
Its on-going training activities in photogrammetry and photo-interpretation are sure to have 
a catalytic effect on the recently added activity in remote sensing. 
4.22 Regional Centre for Services in Surveying Mapping and Remote Sensing, Nair obi (Kenya) 
36. Established in April 1975 as a centre to provide specialized services in surveying and mapping 
to the countries of the Eastern and Southern Africa, it has ‘inherited’ the “Regional Remote 
Sensing Facility" which the United States Government, through its Agency for International 
Development (USAID), established to provide remote sensing services to the Eastern and South- 
ern Africa. The Facility is now regarded as the Technical Department of Remote Sensing of the 
Centre and provides the following services, not only to nationals of the subregion but also to 
others outside it: 
— User-courses in remote sensing applications; 
— Short courses in remote sensing applications to resource exploitation and development, and 
environmental monitoring; 
— Sales of satellite imageries; 
— maintenance of rich archive of browse files; 
— Consultancy services and project execution using satellite imageries; and 
— Conduct of seminars and workshops; and 
— Topographic mapping (1:250,000) using satellite imageries. 
Many resource planners have benefited from the various courses, seminars and workshops 
organized by the Centre. 
ET) Er am cps sg mener