ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WORKS & HOUSING, ALHAJI ABUBAKAR UMAR,
AT THE OPENING OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE
SENSING IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TAKING PLACE IN THE MAIN AUDITORIUM ASCON,
BADAGRY ON TUESDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER, 1986
President of the International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
The Executive Secretary ECA
President of the Nigerian Society of Photogrammetry nd Remote Sensing
Director-General of ASCON
Your Highness, Oba of Badagry
Members of the Nigerian Society of Photogrammetry and Remo te Sensing
Distingu shed Ladies and Gentlemen,
| wish tc welcome you all warmly to this Mid-Congress International Symposium of the
International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing taking place here in the Adminis-
trative Staff College of Nigeria, Badagry.
| am reliably informed that this is the first time that one of the Commissions of your Society
is being hosted by a developing country. By this singular act of the Society at its last Congress,
you have not only endeared Nigeria to the Society but also all the developing countries. Even
though some of the International delegates have been to Nigeria before, your presence here to-
day, however, is markedly different, for in the life of your Society you are virtually introducing
it as it were into the developing countries. We feel proud that Nigeria has been given this recogni-
tion and honour, and | am confident that during its presidency Nigeria will strenuously work
towards the success of the Technical Commision V | of the Society.
In Nigeria, we are applying the techniques of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing in solving
many of our mapping problems. At present, Nigeria has achieved about 96% topographical mapp-
ing coverage of the country at the scale of 1/50,000 and work is in progress to up-date and metri
cate these maps using a more recent 1/25,000 aerial photography coverage of most of the entire
country. We are also using this photography to produce the 1/25,000 topographical map coverage
of the more densely developed areas of the country. Township mapping at the large scales of
1/1,000 and 1/2,000 has been embarked upori for all the State Capitals and some other strategic
towns in the Federation. Attenpts are being made to use satellite imageries for the production
and revision of small scale maps, in particular the 1/250,000 series, and also for the evaluation
and inventory of our forest and water resources.
Nigeria hosts the E. C. A. Regional Centre for Training in Aerial Surveys at lle-Ife and | am
aware that arrangement is being made to include Remote Sensing and Consultancy Services in
the programme of the Centre. Plans are in progress for a Remote Sensing Policy for the Country
on a co-ordinated basis with the relevant government agencies.
| note that the theme of your Symposium is ‘Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing in Econo-
mic Development.’ At no other time than now is this theme more relevant to the needs of this
country and indeed all developing countries. The technology of Photogrammetry and Remote
Sensing, because of its potentialities serves as a catalyst for economic development. There are
problems, particularly in developing countries, in the application of this technology. These in-
clude in the main, funds for acquisition of imageries, acquisition and maintenance of modern
equipment, inadequate trained personnel and other problems which are basic and inherent to
developing countries,
MEI. qe tatin etit
E teen ert
anii ipii Be
