Oyedapo Ipadeola Advocates Smart Mapping, AI and IoT for Multi-Hazard Mitigation

The 2025 Harvest of Ideas (HOI) and Conference, organized by the Young Surveyors Network (YSN), Ekiti State branch, took place from September 25 to September 27 in Ado-Ekiti, bringing together surveyors, academics, and technology enthusiasts to discuss innovative strategies for disaster risk management. The event, themed “Smart Mapping: Integration of Artificial Intelligence and IoT in Mapping Vulnerability, Managing Rise in Disaster Mitigation Strategies,” highlighted the growing importance of technology in modern surveying and community resilience.

Discussions at the conference focused on how emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning, can be applied to predict vulnerabilities and improve disaster preparedness. Among the presenters, Surveyor Oyedapo Ipadeola, of the Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, University of Ilorin, addressed the use of machine learning and deep learning for multi-hazard susceptibility prediction, explaining how large datasets can be leveraged to identify high-risk areas and inform proactive interventions.

“Traditional surveying methods are no longer sufficient,” Oyedapo Ipadeola noted. “AI and IoT allow us to analyse real-time data, map vulnerabilities, and implement strategies that protect communities and infrastructure.”

Other notable attendees included Prof. James Bola Olaleye, Special Adviser to the Governor of Ekiti State on Land, eGIS, and Survey, Surveyor Faleto Adebayo John, the Surveyor-General, the Deputy Surveyor-General, State Chair of the Young Surveyors Network (YSN), Ekiti State Branch, Surveyor Adeyemi Joseph, and Surv. Oyedokun Abel Timileyin, the National President of the Young Surveyors Network (YSN), along with other resource persons. Their contributions spanned practical applications of smart mapping, urban and rural planning, and predictive analytics for multi-hazard risk management.

The conference also featured panel discussions and workshops on the deployment of IoT devices for real-time spatial data collection, the integration of smart mapping tools, and strategies to enhance community resilience against environmental and human-made hazards.

Awards were presented to the keynote speaker, the Surveyor-General, the National YSN Chair, and other resource persons in recognition of their contributions to the conference and professional development in the surveying sector.

Organizers described the event as a critical platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building, emphasizing that equipping young surveyors with skills in AI, IoT, and predictive analytics is essential to advancing disaster risk management and building more resilient communities across Nigeria.