Oyo Surveying School Gets NASS Nod for University Status

The National Assembly has granted approval for the Federal School of Surveying in Oyo State to be upgraded to university status, recognizing the institution’s century-long legacy as Africa’s preeminent surveying academy and marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s geospatial and infrastructure development.

The approval was disclosed by the Surveyor-General of the Federation and Chairman of the Governing Council, Abdulganiyu Adebomehin, following the school’s 64th Governing Council meeting held at the institution on Monday.

The school has successfully completed the formal legislative process required for institutional upgrades, including First Reading, Second Reading, and Public Hearing at the National Assembly. Following these procedural steps, the National Assembly is expected to formally pronounce the school’s designation as a university.

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The Federal School of Surveying, founded in 1908, has maintained its position as the flagship surveying institution in Nigeria and the first of its kind established in Africa. The school has accumulated extensive physical infrastructure, specialized equipment, and institutional knowledge accumulated over more than a century of continuous operation.

Adebomehin emphasized that the school possesses all essential prerequisites for university status, including substantial landmass, advanced equipment, and unmatched expertise in surveying disciplines. He stressed that surveying in Nigeria is synonymous with the school itself, noting that any surveyor claiming professional credentials without connection to the institution lacks essential foundational training.

“The school has been in existence for over 100 years. And in terms of landmass, equipment, and knowledge, we have them. In fact, when you talk about surveying in Nigeria, this is the school. This is the citadel of knowledge in surveying. So, if anybody claims to be a surveyor and has not had anything to do with this school, something is missing somewhere,” the Surveyor-General stated.

The Surveyor-General highlighted surveying’s critical importance to national development, emphasizing that mapping and geographical information constitute foundational requirements for all development activities. He disclosed that the Federation is undertaking a comprehensive national remapping initiative aimed at cataloging the entire country’s geographical data and infrastructure assets.

“So, when you talk about development and nobody is talking about surveying, then there is a problem. And that’s why we are moving from one place to the other now, talking to authorities to help us remap Nigeria as a whole. It is only when you have a map that you have everything at your fingertips. So, surveying is synonymous with development,” Adebomehin explained.

The Surveyor-General illustrated surveying’s pervasive importance across numerous applications, noting that aircraft flight hour calculations depend entirely on surveying coordinates and continuous position refinement. Modern aviation relies on initial coordinate determination for departure and destination points, with onboard systems continuously refining positional data as aircraft progress.

“The number of hours to be used onboard an aircraft is determined by surveying, through taking the first coordinate of where you are and the coordinate of where you are coming from. And as the plane moves, there’s a programme that refines it and tells you what distance you still have to cover, so it’s purely surveying,” Adebomehin stated.

Adebomehin extended surveying’s relevance to modern military applications, noting that contemporary drone-based combat operations represent surveying applications. Modern warfare utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles depends on precise coordinate determination, distance calculations between attack and target locations, and directional guidance systems that fundamentally constitute surveying operations.

“What we are having now where people are using drones to fight is still surveying. All I need is to know the coordinate of where you are, the coordinate of where I am, calculate the distance, and then I tow the drone to move in a particular direction and hit whatever at a targeted spot. So, when you talk of warfare now, it is the warfare of surveyors,” the Surveyor-General explained.

The 64th Governing Council meeting resulted in several administrative actions strengthening the school’s institutional framework. The council provided the school with a comprehensive Scheme of Service that regulates institutional operations across all administrative levels from the rector through the most junior officers. The Scheme of Service establishes clear protocols governing employment relationships, professional conduct standards, and qualification requirements for various positions.

According to the Surveyor-General, the Scheme of Service eliminates arbitrary decision-making in institutional matters by establishing transparent procedures and qualification requirements for all positions. He cited the example of established requirements mandating doctoral qualifications for rectors and principal lecturers, illustrating how the scheme provides clear career advancement pathways and qualification standards.

The Rector of the Federal School of Surveying, Dr Olayinka-Dosunmu Nihinlola, announced the ratification of several principal officer appointments by the Governing Council. Dr Gabriel Adebayo was appointed Registrar, while Mr Onikede Kamil was appointed Bursar. Both appointments take effect from May 17, 2026, and carry five-year tenures.

Additionally, the Governing Council approved the appointment of Dr Kennedy Eiriemiokhale as School Librarian in accordance with the school’s enabling law. Eiriemiokhale earned his doctorate in Library and Information Science from the University of Ilorin and assumed office on February 2, 2026. His appointment also carries a five-year tenure beginning in May 2026.

The appointment of qualified librarian leadership reflects the school’s commitment to strengthening academic support services and information management infrastructure as it transitions toward university status. The selection of officers with specialized advanced qualifications demonstrates the institution’s focus on maintaining professional standards across all administrative and service functions.

The upgrade to university status represents formal recognition of the Federal School of Surveying’s institutional maturity and significant contributions to professional surveying education and practice in Nigeria. The transition will provide expanded opportunities for advanced degree offerings, enhanced research capabilities, and greater institutional autonomy in curriculum development and academic planning.

The school’s century-long history as Africa’s premier surveying institution has established it as the foundation for professional surveying practice across the continent. The university upgrade acknowledges this legacy while positioning the institution to expand its educational and research contributions to Nigeria’s development agenda, particularly in geographic information systems, infrastructure development planning, and spatial data management.