The National Cartographic Association (NCA) has urged the establishment of a regulatory body to oversee map making in Nigeria.
NCA National President, Prof. Mommoh Rilwan, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the association’s 46th conference. He said regulation was critical to ensure professionalism and accuracy in map production, stressing that only certified practitioners should be allowed to engage in the practice.
“This is to ensure that they have the required skills to produce maps that can be used for planning and sustainable development,” Rilwan said. He warned that maps produced by non-professionals often misrepresent situations, leading to poor decisions, developmental crises, and disasters.
Rilwan added that the conference theme, “Geospatial Intelligence Mapping for Poverty Alleviation and Security Management,” was timely in addressing national development challenges.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, represented by Dr Mathew Adepoju, Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), said the theme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He noted that standardising cartographic practices would help Nigeria benefit from emerging opportunities in the space economy, and urged NCA to seek legislative backing from the National Assembly.
Declaring the conference open, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, emphasised the importance of knowledge in repositioning the sector and expressed confidence in the quality of discussions lined up.
The conference runs from Sept. 8 to 12.
(NAN)