Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo has appointed Innocent Bello as managing director of the state’s Geographical Information Service (EdoGIS).

This is contained in a statement signed by Musa Ikhilor, secretary to the state government (SSG), on Monday in Benin.

The governor’s letter, read earlier on the floor of the state House of Assembly, sought legislative approval for the appointment.

The speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, subsequently mandated the Committee on Rules and Business to begin screening of the nominee.

The governor also moved to scrap the State Ministry of Lands, with its functions now transferred to EdoGIS to streamline land administration and improve service delivery through a single digital platform.

The current commissioner for lands and housing, Vincent Uwadiae, was redeployed to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

The SSG stated that the restructuring aligned with the state’s ongoing reforms to meet World Bank operational guidelines under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).

“A recent technical review had established that extant laws did not meet requirements for accessing the next phase of World Bank funding, with a deadline of April 30, set for compliance.

“Bello is a distinguished geospatial scientist, administrator, and academic with extensive experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, spatial data infrastructure, and land administration.

“He currently serves as Assistant Director and Head of the Spatial Data Infrastructure Division at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Abuja, and is the national president of the Nigerian Cartographic Association,” he said.

The SSG stated that the latest appointment formed part of the administration’s drive to digitise land records, curb land racketeering, and ensure transparency in land transactions across the state.

 (NAN)