Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has flagged off a pioneering 3D aerial mapping exercise aimed at transforming land administration, attracting investment, and establishing a modern geospatial database to aid infrastructural development across the state.
The mapping project, launched on Wednesday at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport in Ado-Ekiti, marks a major stride in the state’s digital governance efforts.
Speaking at the event, Governor Oyebanji described the initiative as a game changer that will streamline land management, promote transparency, and enhance property security for residents and investors alike.
“By the time we finish what we are doing, it is going to open the window for investment into Ekiti State, the era of people selling one land to ten people will stop, the era of land grabbing will stop.
“An investor does not have to go to the office of Surveyor- General to sit with them because at a press of a button, you can locate every land and all houses in the state. So, it is a revolution and I am happy it is happening today,” the governor said.
He noted that the exercise would tackle fraudulent land transactions, eliminate land-grabbing schemes, and provide reliable land records, all of which are crucial for investor confidence and sustainable urban planning.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Lands, Survey and e-GIS, Prof James Olaleye, explained that the project marks the beginning of modernising land administration in Ekiti through advanced geospatial technologies. He said the mapping aircraft would fly at low altitudes to capture every inch of the state’s landmass, with the exercise expected to last for one month.
Surveyor Olajugba Oluropo, the contractor in charge of the project, guided state officials through a mapping board and the aircraft’s features during the flag-off. He assured the Governor of the project’s timely and world-class execution.
Dignitaries present at the ceremony included Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye; Secretary to the State Government, Prof Habibat Adubiaro; Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Folakemi Olomojobi; members of the State Executive Council; and prominent traditional rulers including the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers and Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, HRM Oba Ilori Faboro, as well as the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, HRM Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, Aladesanmi III.
Shortly after the ceremony, the mapping aircraft took off to commence the historic exercise, marking a significant step towards a digital future for land governance in Ekiti.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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