By: Ezekiel Geeplay
MONROVIA, Nov. 28, 2024 – In a significant step towards improving land management and resolving disputes arising from fraudulent land surveying practices, the Liberia Surveyors Licensing and Registration Board (SLRB), has certificated and licensed 34 new surveyors as certified professionals to boost the profession and combat the proliferation of unqualified practitioners across the country.
According to LLA Project Manager for Delivery of Sustainable Land Services in Liberia, Christopher John Byren emphasized the critical role surveyors’ play in national development.
“Surveyors provide the essential foundation for land use and development,” said Byren, who served as the keynote speaker during the ceremony.
“From the simplest property boundaries to the most intricate construction projects, we are the architects of precise measurement; ensuring the land beneath us is understood, mapped, and utilized to its fullest potential.” he said.
Also, the Co-chairman of the SLRB, George Ashton Wreh, outlined the statutory mandate of the board to regulate the licensing and registration of surveyors in Liberia.
“The SLRB is committed to setting standards for licensing by ensuring that individuals entering the field meet stringent educational and professional qualifications,” Wreh added.
He stressed that the regulation of the surveying profession protects the public by ensuring that only qualified and well recognized professionals provide surveying services. “The board enforces compliance with regulations and takes disciplinary actions against surveyors who fail to uphold professional standards,” he noted.
For his part, Dr. Mahmoud Solomon, Chairman of Testing and Evaluation at the SLRB, revealed that 60 candidates sat for the certification exam, out of which 34 made a successful pass, adding that of this figure, 9 were women, showcasing progress in female participation in what has been known from time in memorial as a traditionally male-dominated field.
“The addition of these new professionals will strengthen the surveying sector and address challenges such as fraudulent land claims and impersonators,” he said.
He highlighted that unqualified individuals have contributed to numerous land disputes, clogging Liberia’s court system.
He concluded that the new additions bring the total number of certified surveyors in Liberia to over 70, indicating that the increase is expected to alleviate the challenges associated with land disputes and enhance public trust in the surveying profession.
Attendees at the event included representatives from civil society organizations, local government officials, developmental partners, and family members of the graduates.
The SLRB was established through Decree Number 23 of the People’s Redemption Council (PRC) in the early 1980s. This legislative decree aimed to regulate the surveying profession and ensure surveyors meet high standards of competence, ethics, and professionalism.
