By: Tijani Salako.
The Surveyor-General of the Federation, Abudulganiyu Adebomehin, has warned that all illegal structures on Nigeria’s shorelines will be removed.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Henry David, in Abuja, when the executive team of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors and the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria pays a courtesy visit to the Surveyor General.
According to Adebomehin, the demolition directive is aligning with national urban planning laws and international maritime frameworks, particularly the Law of the Sea, which this duty is embedded in the role and responsibilities of the Surveyor-General of the Federation Office
This follows its recent move under the direct oversight of the Presidency. Adebomehin said, “As part of the President’s directive, all requests for issuance of Certificates of Occupancy, permits, and survey plans along the shoreline should be put on hold and this will be pending determination on merit for further processing by OSGOF.”
He further directed the National Inland Waterways Authority to collate and submit all prior shoreline-related approvals issued to individuals or corporate entities to the OSGOF. “Any documents previously submitted to other organisations or MDAs concerning shoreline matters should now be redirected to his office.”
The Surveyor General expressed concern over the continued duplication of OSGOF’s functions by some MDAs, despite the official pronouncement of its relocation to the Presidency. He also criticised states that were still allocating land within shoreline areas without involving the OSGOF.
“The enforcement unit will demolish anything within the right of way (ROW); this is an executive order. The Federal Government does not want any unapproved allocation around the shoreline. This is subject to the Law of the Sea, and there is a strong commitment to ensure compliance. The OSGOF has the right map,” he warned.
Adebomehin commend the visiting surveyor bodies for their dedication to advancing the surveying profession in Nigeria and pledged continued collaboration toward shared goals.
Speaking during the visit, the Surveyor-General of the NIS, Folakemi Odunewu, said the delegation came to congratulate Adebomehin on OSGOF’s transition to the Presidency and to present their demands. “We have a seven-point agenda, which includes digital transformation of the National Secretariat, public relations and advocacy, and extending our engagements to other relevant stakeholders,” she said.
Odunewu added that their agenda also covered the re-agitation of the Survey Coordination Act and the development of additional professional excellence structures for NIS members. She highlighted a renewed push for the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Surveying and Geoinformatics.