…Appoints NASRDA expert to head EdoGIS
… Redeploy commissioner to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development
The Edo State Government has approved the scrapping of the Ministry of Lands and Housing, designating the Edo State Geographic Information Service, EdoGIS, as the central and primary organ for land administration in the state.
The government also announced the appointment of Dr. Innocent Ehiaguina Bello, a geospatial scientist and senior official of the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, as the Managing Director of EdoGIS.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq., who said the decisions form part of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s strategic efforts to restructure land administration, modernise land governance systems and align the sector with global best practices.
According to the statement, EdoGIS will now serve as the main institution responsible for land administration in Edo State, a reform expected to improve efficiency, transparency, data-driven decision-making and service delivery in land management.
The government said the restructuring is also aimed at ensuring compliance with World Bank standards and requirements, thereby enhancing the state’s eligibility for international funding, grants and participation in global development programmes.
As part of the changes, the current Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Barr. Vincent Osas Uwadiae, has been redeployed to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, where the government said his expertise would further support the state’s urban development agenda.
Dr. Bello, the newly appointed Managing Director of EdoGIS, currently serves as Assistant Director and Head of Spatial Data Infrastructure Division at NASRDA, Abuja. He is also the National President of the Nigerian Cartographic Association.
The statement described him as a distinguished geospatial scientist, administrator and academic with extensive experience in Geographic Information Systems, GIS, Remote Sensing, Spatial Data Infrastructure and Land Administration.
It added that his expertise in geospatial intelligence, cadastral systems and digital land governance positions him as a key driver of the state’s land administration reforms.
Dr. Bello is widely published, with several peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and conference papers in areas including land use systems, cadastral information systems, smart city development, geospatial governance, environmental sustainability, disaster risk mapping and national geospatial data infrastructure.
The Edo State Government reiterated its commitment to institutional reforms that promote efficiency, transparency and sustainable development in line with global best practices.
