Flooding: Surveyors join Lagos Govt to proffer dolution leveraging on technology

In a bid to deepen efforts at reducing flooding in Lagos, Surveyors have made known its commitment to joining the Lagos State Government in tackling the threat with continued education of members of the professional body.

Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, NIS Lagos State branch on Thursday at their Secretariat held the 2025 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development to engage members on a professional development series of lectures with the theme: Intelligent Flood Hazard and Vulnerability Mapping.

The Vice Chairman of the branch, Surveyor Olukayode Ogundare, noted that the enlightenment program was put together not only to refresh members, but also used as a platform to teach them in new ways at proffering solutions to problems affecting the profession and its environment.

He pointed out that flooding in Lagos State is not only a government malaise but one that portends challenges for surveys and surveyors.

Ogundare opined that continued education on flooding in the state would assist everyone in creating awareness as well as providing answers through available technology to abate the possible grave effect on the people.

According to the Vice Chairman, “Yes, it is our policy in the institution to continually train our members so that they can embrace new technologies, have a refresher course from experts on the field.

“Haven left school a long time. As professionals, we want to be constantly refreshing our memory in order to be filled with the current trends of doing things.

“This year’s theme is about intelligent flood hazard and vulnerability mapping. Flooding hazards have been a challenge to mostly Lagos and other urban cities in Nigeria. So this year, we carefully chose this topic so that we leverage technology to see how we can manage floods.

“You know, we manage when you take some preventive measures. When it happens, how it happens, and it enables us to control and take measures against it immediately,” he stressed.

He said that technology helps to checkmate even what will happen later. So it is the new way to go, and that is the institution that has put the program up to improve on the knowledge of members.

Ogundare added, “The future of solution is Artificial Intelligence, AI and this is also needed to create solutions for future occurrence. So we need to leverage on technology to see how surveyors will be able to predict and provide information that will give government answers that will create solutions.

“We shall create awareness for government that we need to mitigate the occurrence of a flood. So with these trainings, we brainstorm on the available technology like AI to use as software to intelligently map flood-prone areas like Lagos, which is located in low level area but  notwithstanding, if we take some measures we can prevent flooding.

Also, members of the professional body were enlightened on the new tax reforms starting next year so as not to fall foul of the law out of ignorance.

Mr Abayomi Abiona, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant, took members through the new reforms highlighting the new law is creating a shift from the past and all professionals should understand how it affects them and their practices.

He pointed out that everyone should have a grip on the reform and embeds the same in their operations going forward.

Abiona hinted that every professional needs to understand their tax responsibility from 2026 and obey the law.

He said, “The lecture is to create awareness around the new tax law that is taking effect come 1st January 2026 because the tax space is shifting significantly and there’s need for professionals in whatever capacity, employees, managers of businesses and stakeholders generally to have full understanding of this new tax law and incorporate them into their processes such that they will be on the right standing with the law.

“There is need to bring everyone together and let them know what is expected of them, either as a practitioner in the capacity of freelancers, in the capacity of employees of organizations, in the capacity of business of surveying.

“Also to know what their tax obligation will begin to look like in the coming year, so that there is no form of ambiguity and they can comply appropriately,” he added.

The Institution’s Auditor and consultant, Mr Sanya Alabi was also handy to advise surveyors not to ignore the new tax law in their process while suggesting members operate as a liability company rather than individual to enjoy government patronage.

According to him, “I did mention in the course of my presentation that it is advisable for professionals to adopt the limited liability structure which can still give advantage of the loopholes in the new law.

“These are loopholes that can reduce your tax liability if you are practicing under a limited liability company, until such time your turnover exceeds 100 million naira, you are not chargeable to tax.

“And, again, you’ll be able to grow your business with the kind of incentives the government has put in place,” Alabi said.