Story by: Paul Mensah Nsor
The Land & Engineering Surveyors Institution of Ghana (LESIG) was officially launched in Accra, bringing together industry leaders, government representatives, and academia in a show of support for a unified professional body for surveyors across disciplines.
Organizers described the launch as a “rebirth” for the profession, aimed at restoring its standing and repositioning it as a strategic partner in national development.
Lic. Surv. Stephen Djaba, founding member of LESIG and Vice President and Property Committee Chairman LiSAG, said the launch marks a decisive moment for surveying in Ghana. He traced the profession’s historical role to the era of Governor Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg and said LESIG will work to “restore the profession’s dignity and reposition it as a strategic partner to the state.”
“The profession has been fragmented and underappreciated,” Surv. Djaba said. “LESIG is not just a formation. It is a restoration, a unification and a transformation.”
He outlined LESIG’s comprehensive commission structure, which covers the full technical ecosystem of surveying and geospatial practice. The seven commissions include land surveying and cadastral integrity; engineering surveying for infrastructure; geodesy and positioning; photogrammetry and remote sensing; mapping and resources, including mining surveying; hydrographic surveying; and GIS, cartography, and spatial data science.
According to Lic. Surv. Stephen Djaba, the commissions will provide sector-specific professional standards, training, and certification while collaborating with statutory agencies such as the Lands Commission’s Survey & Mapping Division, Minerals Commission, Petroleum Commission, Ghana Geological Survey Authority, and relevant ministries.
He emphasized that surveyors play critical roles across public works, mining, petroleum, ports, utilities, and smart-city planning, and that standardized spatial data is essential for efficient infrastructure and resource management. Surv. Djaba also said LESIG will work to eliminate unqualified practices that threaten national projects and data integrity.
LESIG’s mandate is backed by Ghana’s Land Commission Act (Act 767), Land Act 2020 (Act 1036), Survey Act 1962 (Act 127), and sector-specific laws governing mining and petroleum operations, organizers said. The institution has already attracted early international interest, with representatives from the International Society of Mine Surveyors and UK civil surveying associations reaching out to welcome LESIG into the global surveying community.
Surv. Ing. Dr. Samuel Larbi Darko, President of the Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana, also attended the inauguration and voiced strong support for LESIG. He described the new institution as a complementary platform rather than a competing body.
“We have been licensed to undertake surveying work, but this institution is for all people who have studied or graduated with a certificate in land surveying engineering,” Dr. Darko said, calling on practitioners across land surveying and related engineering fields to join LESIG.
He underscored the Constitution of Ghana’s guarantee of freedom of association and said the institution’s broader scope would strengthen support systems for surveyors and their welfare. Dr. Darko urged LESIG’s leadership to uphold high professional standards and ethics and encouraged collaboration with established professional bodies.
“Institutions of this kind exist in other countries and I am optimistic that LESIG will grow to become a leading voice for land surveying in Ghana,” he said. He closed by offering best wishes for the institution’s future: “I welcome the institution… I want to thank you and wish you well. Long live LESIG, long live Ghana.”
Founders called on all land, engineering, geomatics, hydrographic, cartographic, and spatial data professionals to join LESIG. The institution plans to roll out certification programs, professional development initiatives, and sectoral collaborations with government to institutionalize best practice and build a unified national spatial data system.
