Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has deployed eGIS tools, comprising ICT devices, to the Office of Surveyor-General and the Land Bureau, for effective land administration in the State.
Speaking during the presentation of the eGIS tools at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa on Thursday, Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro, said the eGIS tools will reduce the timeframe for processing applications for titles.
He said: “I am here on behalf of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to hand over the equipment he purchased for the eGIS project. The equipment are numerous in number; The equipment is for the Office of the Surveyor-General and Lands Bureau to kick-start the eGIS project.
“The equipment is going to make life a lot easier. It will make it easier to process applications. It is going to reduce the time frame in processing applications for titles, reducing it to a matter of days. It will also benefit members of the public. They can access the database and apply for title from the comfort of their home or office anywhere in the world.”
Speaking during the event, the Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Urban Development, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, said the eGIS tools will enhance the ease of doing business in Lagos State, particularly in getting planning permits for individuals and corporate organisaions.
He said: “We have what we call the Enterprise Geographic Information System that we are building. It is a platform. My office is about the Enterprise Geographic Information System. We are providing services to the MDAs in Lagos. We want to make sure that we automate all the processes of all the MDAs within the Lagos State civil service. We will try and reduce the turnaround time of carrying out land transactions and physical planning processes.
“We are coming up with what we call the electronic physical planning process system. Under the electronic physical planning process system, you can apply for building approval online and get it within 10 minutes all things being equal. Once you have your soil sample and the mechanical, electrical and architectural drawing, you can turn it in like you are applying for a visa and you will get your approval in 10 minutes. This is where Lagos wants to be.
“We will have a system, where people from the comfort of their homes can apply for building permits. It has almost minimal human interaction. You don’t have to be in anybody’s office; it is the system that is processing it.”
Also speaking, the Surveyor-General of Lagos State, Surv. Ayokunnu Adesina, commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for deploying the eGIS tools. He said the tools will assist personnel in the Office of the Surveyor-General and Land Bureau to perform efficiently.
“We thank our governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for approving the procurement of the tools. He is one leader who will not give you an errand without providing the tools with which you are going to perform your task. So, I will say that it is a new day in Lagos State. With the procurement of the eGIS tools, officers would be able to perform their tasks and ensure that our service level agreement with our numerous clients can be met.
“This is like a revolution in land administration in the state. Land administration now will be effective and efficient because the tools will help officers perform their tasks and attend to applications that have been submitted remotely. It is going to allow officers to perform their work efficiently on their various desks.”
Packaged by Alaba Igbaroola
