The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Oyo State branch, has called on members of the profession to uphold and sustain the legacy of mentorship, integrity and professionalism established by surveying icons in the country.
The Chairman of the branch, Surv. Bashiru Ajibade, made the call on Tuesday in Ibadan during the 10th L.L. Ali Annual/6th Memorial Lecture, organised by NIS Oyo State in honour of one of Nigeria’s surveying icons, the late Surv. Lasisi Ali.
The event had as its theme ‘Mentorship, Integrity and Professionalism: The Enduring Legacy of Surveying Icons’.
Ajibade said the enduring contributions of past leaders of the profession must not be allowed to fade, stressing that deliberate mentorship, ethical practice and commitment to professional standards remain critical to safeguarding the future of surveying in Nigeria.
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He added that young surveyors must be properly guided to imbibe the values that have kept the profession relevant and respected over the years.
“In line with the theme of the 2026 annual lecture, our living legends are seen emulating Pa Ali’s spirit by giving free mentorship to all cadres of surveyors in the state”.
“These efforts are noticeably felt in the recent folio preparations of the intending Fellows and the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) exam candidates,” he noted.
The Guest Lecturer at the event, Prof. Sifau Adejumo, a Professor of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology at the University of Ibadan, noted that mentorship, integrity and professionalism represent three pillars of an enduring surveying legacy.
Adejumo added that the surveying icons of every generation should therefore be remembered, not only for the projects they completed, the maps they produced, the institutions they established or the technological advances they embraced.
She said that they should also be remembered for the people they inspired and the standards of the practice they upheld.
“The responsibility of surveyors is not simply to become technically proficient surveyors, but to become mentors, ethical leaders and professionals worthy of public trust.
“The greatest legacy of a surveying icon is not what they measured, mapped or built, but the standards they established and the generations they inspired to carry the profession forward,” she said.
Earlier, the Surveyor-General of Oyo State, Surv. Olusoji Adeoye, in his remarks, said that a lot of unethical survey practices are still waiting for attention from the state ethics committee and the surveyor investigation panel.
Adeoye charged NIS members to imbibe the spirit of integrity, quality service delivery and professionalism.
“A mentee is a reflection of his mentor. It is time to walk the talk, so if we say we are mentees of Pa Lasisi Ali, we must start to exhibit the integrity he was known for in the surveying profession,” he said.
The highlights of the event included the presentation of awards of mentorship and professional integrity to distinguished members for their selfless service, lectures, goodwill messages, among others.