By TUNDE EIGBIREMOLEN
BENIN CITY – Edo State Geographic Information Service, (EDOGIS), has bagged the Most Prestigious Award of “The Best GIS in Nigeria”.
The Agency received the Award on Friday in Abuja following its nomination after an extensive online voting process across various media platforms conducted by the Nigeria GovTech Public Service Reforms .
EDOGIS emerged as the Best State GIS in the Country after a thorough assessment by the Nigeria Bureau of Public Service Reforms .
Recall that recently, more States of the Federation, particularly from the South-East, continued to Visit Edo State Geographic Information Service, (EDOGIS) to Understudy the Agency with a view to getting their own GIS right, the way Edo State has done.
Within a space of two months early this year, Cross Rivers, Enugu, Anambra and Abia States in quick succession took their turns to come to EDOGIS to learn from the Agency, considered to be the Most – Structured in the South – South of Nigeria.
This followed the huge financial, technological and human capital investment of His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki in Edo State Geographic Information Service, (EDOGIS).
Most recently, on Monday, June 24, 2024 a 19-man delegation from the Anambra State Ministry of Lands led by the Permanent Secretary, Barr. (Mrs) Nkiruka Mokwe, were in Benin City to understudy EDOGIS; to learn and compare notes with the Agency officials on how best to get their acts right.
The next day, Tuesday, June 25, 2024 another 15-member delegation from Abia State, led by the Surveyor-General of the State, Surv. N.K.C Abaraonye took their turn to visit EDOGIS and to learn, first-hand, how the Agency has perfected its business and made land administration in the State seamless.
The Managing Director, EDOGIS, ESV. Osaro Grace Aihie, FNIVS, who conducted the teams round the offices, also painstakingly tutored them on the dynamics of the EDOGIS Magic wand, leveraging on the template provided by His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Similarly, the six combined States in the Niger Delta which make up the BRACED States,(Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Edo, Delta) during their 3-day strategic retreat organized by the Heads of Service in the region in Benin City, Edo State, took a working visit to EDOGIS to assess the level of digitisation of the Agency’s operations and to seek ways of collaboration.
We recall too, that on February 4, 2024 a GIS team from Enugu came; March 28, 2024, it was the turn of Cross Rivers Geographic Information Agency, [GIA]; May 12, 2024 Abia Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Chaka Chukwumerijie visited to learn and take notes on the operations of the EDOGIS; June 24, 2024, Anambra Ministry of Lands and Survey delegation took their turn, while next day on June 25, Abia made a second visit, this time, led by the Surveyor-General of the State.
It must be noted that these series of visits by other GIS agencies were not mere coincidence .
They were the aftermath of the monumental and remarkable achievements of EDOGIS in terms of its seamless land administration based on the huge financial, technological and human capital investment of His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki in the operations of Edo State Geographic Information Service, (EDOGIS).
This has resulted in the Agency being declared and acknowledged as the “Best and Most Structured GIS not only in the South South of Nigeria”, but the Country as a whole.
At the end of the visits, the teams were full of commendation for Governor Obaseki and the MD of EDOGIS , ESV Osaro Grace Aihie for the great reforms which made the Agency to stand out as the best in the South South region and the country at large.