09/10/2025
Adamawa Surveyor General, Pwavidon Simon Transforms Office into a Digital Powerhouse, Generates Over ₦300 Million Annually
The Adamawa State Surveyor General, Surv. Pwavidon Simon, has revealed major strides in transforming the Office of the Surveyor General into a model of digital innovation, transparency, and revenue generation.
Speaking during a press briefing with online media platforms on Thursday at the Government House, Yola, Surv. Simon stated that upon assuming office, he came on board with a clear vision to intellectualize the office, modernize its operations, and free it from total dependence on statutory allocations.
“When I took over, we were generating less than one million naira per annum. Today, the office has become a three-digit, hundred-million-naira revenue-generating entity,” he said proudly.
According to him, the reforms were anchored on Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s visionary leadership, which emphasized innovation, accountability and digital transformation in governance.
Surv. Simon noted that everything the office does today is digitally inclined, marking a complete departure from the old manual and paper-based systems.
“We now have desk officers deployed across seven MDAs in the state — something that was never done before,” he explained.
He disclosed that over 994 secondary schools across Adamawa State have been successfully mapped, a feat that underscores the office’s capacity and digital advancement.
The office has also expanded its revenue outlets from just four functional ones to twenty-one, ensuring greater efficiency and wider coverage of services.
Surv. Simon proudly revealed that Adamawa is the first state in Nigeria to convey a survey plan as prescribed by national standards, setting a precedent later adopted by the Federal Government and other states.
He emphasized that the Adamawa State Government’s decision to move the Office of the Surveyor General directly under the Office of the Governor has now been replicated at the federal level under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and more recently by Niger State.
“Adamawa set the pace, and today others are following. Our activities and innovations have resonated at the national level,” he added.
As a result of these achievements, Surv. Simon now chairs several high-profile national committees, including the Surveyor Investigative Panel, the Forum of State Surveyors General, and serves as a member of the Presidential Committee on National Geospatial Data Infrastructure.
Highlighting the scope of his office’s work, Simon stated that surveying in Adamawa State now goes beyond issuing land titles.
The office actively supports flood mitigation efforts, provides geospatial services to the State Planning Commission and maintains an extensive database on grazing reserves and forest reserves.
“We are reviewing these areas to assess the extent of settlement development, climate change effects and deforestation so that the government can plan better,” he explained.
Adamawa, he said, remains the only state in Nigeria that has successfully mapped its entire territory, a landmark achievement that supports sustainable development and environmental management.
The reforms have also drastically reduced land racketeering and sharp practices that previously plagued the sector.
“Today, applicants who seek survey plans or titles have confidence in the government. We have removed bottlenecks and built public trust,” Simon noted.
He further disclosed that the office is now applying crime management and geospatial surveying approaches to assist security agencies in monitoring illegal land activities and other territorial challenges.
The Surveyor General attributed the success of these transformations to the unwavering support and guidance of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
“All these achievements would not have been possible without the direction and encouragement of His Excellency, a leader of the 21st-century satellite age,” Simon said.
He also credited divine grace for sustaining his journey, adding that he is motivated by faith and by the trust placed in him by his principal.
Surv. Simon used the occasion to advise residents not to build on waterways or right-of-way areas, warning that doing so poses serious environmental and safety risks.
Speaking about his personal legacy, he expressed hope to be remembered as a public servant who served faithfully and upheld the confidence of his principal and the people.
“When all is said and done, I want to be remembered as someone who held the trust of his principal and worked for the good of Adamawa State,” he concluded.
