More surveyors needed to improve spatial planning – Lands Commission
The Acting Surveyor at the Survey and Mapping Division of the Lands Commission, Naa Seidu Zakari Abu, has called for more qualified surveyors to complement the work of the Commission.
He suggested that every district in Ghana should have at least one surveyor to support the existing 400 surveyors providing mapping and spatial services.
Naa Abu was speaking to The Ghanaian Times on Monday during a two-week capacity-building course for 73 private surveyors who had applied for licences to practise as surveyors.
The Acting Director of the Survey and Mapping Division said the 2026 Refresher Course for applicants for the Licensed Land Surveyor’s Licence was aimed at enhancing their knowledge and upgrading their skills.
He said under the Survey Act, 1962 (Act 127), and the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767), the Commission was mandated to license qualified persons to practise cadastral surveying in Ghana.
Naa Abu said applicants who met the required criteria would undergo an intensive two-week refresher course, followed by an examination and final interview, after which successful candidates would be awarded licences.
Asked whether surveyors could help address Ghana’s perennial flooding, Naa Abu said surveyors could provide solutions if the country was properly mapped and spatial data effectively used.
He, however, noted that indiscipline also contributed to flooding.
In his welcome address, the Deputy Director of the Survey and Mapping Division, Surveyor Abdul-Hanan Iddirisu Abu, commended the applicants for being selected to undertake the two-week intensive course.
He urged them to give off their best by attending all lectures, passing their examinations and qualifying for the licences.
Alhaji Abu reminded the applicants that ethics was a cornerstone of the surveying profession and urged them to uphold the highest standards in their practice.
For his part, the Deputy Director of Research and Development, Surveyor Eric Mensah Okantey, reminded the applicants that their final scores would be based partly on their punctuality and attendance.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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