The President of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON), Surv. Moshood Onifade Akinwande, has described his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as a manifestation of divine will rather than the product of personal power, influence or ingenuity.
Akinwande, an Oyo Town-born surveyor who retired in 2018 as Director of Research, Planning and Documentation in the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, was inaugurated on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Abuja as President of the 10th Surveyors Council of Nigeria.
He was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
SURCON is the statutory regulatory body for the surveying profession in Nigeria. The Council comprises 59 members, including Surveyors-General from the 36 states of the federation and the Director of Mapping in Abuja.
Speaking at a luncheon organised in his honour by the 1981 Set of the Ladigbolu Grammar School, Oyo, Old Students Association, Akinwande expressed profound gratitude to God and President Tinubu for considering him worthy of the appointment.
The SURCON President, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Oluwakemi Akinwande, was joined at the event by the President-General of the Ladigbolu Grammar School Old Students Association, Pastor Funmilayo Ojoawo.
Akinwande said his emergence as President of the Council could only be attributed to divine favour, noting that there were thousands of qualified surveyors across the country.
“Without God, there is nothing anybody can do. He has seen me thus far, and I do not take God for granted. Without God, I cannot be where I am today.
“I am not the best. We have over 6,000 registered surveyors in the country, so why me, if not God?” he said.
Speaking on the honour organised by his former schoolmates, Akinwande expressed appreciation to members of the 1981 Set for deeming him worthy of celebration.
“When I was informed that my 1981 colleagues wanted to honour me, I said, why not? What am I doing that I will not be here?
“I quickly called my Registrar and told him we must come together. I also called our Chairman in Oyo State, and they both agreed to come with me. I am glad for this honour. I thank God and I thank you all,” he said.
The event was attended by the Registrar of SURCON, Surv. Ola Kunle Ogungbemiro; the Chairman of the Oyo State Institution of Surveyors, Surv. Ajibade Bashiru Bolanle; and a former Registrar of the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo, Mr. Kola Oyedele, among others.
In his remarks, the Registrar of SURCON, Surv. Olakunle Ogungbemiro, described Akinwande as a hardworking and effective leader, saying his appointment had brought relief to the Council after a prolonged period without a functional governing body.
According to him, he had worked under enormous pressure during the period when the Council was not functional.
“With the appointment of the President, I have been having good sleep because for about three years, when the Council was not functional, I had been working round the clock.
“Whenever anybody calls me to complain about anything now, I tell them that we have a Council and that the President should be contacted.
“The President has been very wonderful and hardworking, and I am happy to be part of his success,” Ogungbemiro said.
In his keynote address, the President of the Ladigbolu Grammar School 1981 Set, Mr. Segun Oke, congratulated Akinwande, describing his appointment as a reflection of years of hard work, integrity, competence and dedication to professional excellence.
“Your elevation is a testament to your hard work, integrity, competence and dedication to professional excellence. It is also a source of pride to all of us in the 1981 Set and the entire Ladigbolu family,” Oke said.
He charged the SURCON President to justify the confidence reposed in him and ensure that his tenure reflects the values and ideals for which the 1981 Set is known.
“Go forth and raise the Ladigbolu banner high at the Surveyors Council of Nigeria,” he added.
Other well-wishers at the event, including former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Moroof Akinwande; Chairman of the Welfare Committee of the 1981 Set, Lateef Adeyeye; the Senior Boy of the set, Lukman Alarape; and the Senior Girl, Titilayo Olaleye (née Adebowale), urged Akinwande to make a remarkable impact and excel in his new national assignment.
The luncheon brought together members of the 1981 Set who converged on Oyo Town to celebrate one of their own and his emergence as President of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria.
