An epoch profile of Surveyor Dr. Fitka Steve Bilshakka by ViewpointNigeria

SURVEYOR DR. STEVE FITKA BILSHAKK (Ph.D, FGEOSON, FIARSA, FICAS, FCIDA) is a philanthropist, bridge builder, a grassroots developer and a man that knows the plight of his people with a good heart for youth development, women emancipation & empowerment, education health and general wellbeing of the masses. Surv. Dr. Fitka was born on the 20th of March, 1963 in a small village called Ner, Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau state.
“I am the Vice- President as well as the Fellow of Geoinformation Society of Nigeria and fellows of the International Association of Research Scholars and Administrators, the Institute of Corporate Administrative Sciences and the Civilian Institute of Democratic Administration. Vice-Chairman of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, FCT Branch. I am a Geospatial Scientist with 27 years’ experience”
Surv. Dr. Nde Fitka is an alumnus of prestigious and famous institutions: Kaduna Polytechnic (HND), African Regional Institute for Geospatial Information Science and Technology under the auspices of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Osun State (PGD-GIS), Federal University of Technology (PGD-CS), Minna, Niger State, University of Twente (MSc-LA), Enschede, The Netherlands, and the University of America (Ph. D), Temecula, California, USA. He has a multi-disciplinary academic and professional background from surveying and mapping to Geoinformatics. His research is focused on environmental, disaster management, geospatial-intelligence, socio-economic, and many more for sustainable development and survival of mankind.
Dr. Fitka is self-confident and appreciates the experience of working in different cultures or countries. Dr. Fitka is keen to work with intellectual scientists to develop new techniques and methods to maximise the potential of geospatial data and information analysis, integration and management, environmental modelling, monitoring and big-data management.

Dr. Fitka is a team-player as well as a mentor with good communication, presentation and motivational skills, and an in-built ability to make people work towards realisation of their potentials. He is an active member of International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), the America Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), the Netherlands Association of Geo-Information Professionals (NAGP), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and many other groups.
Educational Background
He started his primary school at Holy Cross Primary School Pankshin in 1973-1978 and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate. He proceeded to Nakam Memorial Secondary School, Panyam in 1978 and graduated 1983; there he obtained a GCE certificate.
Surv. Dr. Fitka went to the Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State in 1986-1991 for a Higher National Diploma and National Diploma (HND &ND) in Surveying and Mapping (Photogrammetry) after obtaining his Higher National Diploma, he did not end there. He went further and enrolled for a Post–Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Computer Science at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State in 1999-2000. Dr. Fitka also has a Post –Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Geographic Information System at the African Regional Institute for Geospatial Information Science and Technology (AFRIGIST) under the auspices of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Osun State in 2002-2003. As a person who knows and values education, Nde Fitka went for his M.Sc in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observations with specialization in Geographic Information System (GIS) and Land Management from the University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands from 2008-2010. Nde Steve Fitka later went for his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation from the University of America, Temecula, California, USA between 2014- 2018 and was honored with the title Dr. Surveyor. He is a Registered Surveyor of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Geoinformatician and

a member, Nigeria Institution of Surveyors (NIS).
Dr. Fitka has attended many seminars and workshops that includes; certificate course in Land Governance for Building Trust and Transparency in Land Administration at the Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana; Application of Geo-Information to the Development and Management of Resources at NARSDA in Nigeria; a certificate course in Digital Map Production Techniques and GIS at the University of Uyo, Awka Ibom State, Nigeria, and a certificate course in Contract and Project Management at Global Training Centre (GTC) London, 2013. He also attended the Executive Development Programme on Growing High- Performers at GMSI in London, 2013, workshop on Building Bridges between Professionals and sharing spatial knowledge organized by the Abuja Chapter of Geographic Society of Nigeria (GEOSON) in the FCT Nigeria, 2006; Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Familiarization with Application Workshop on CORS organized by NARSDA in the FCT Nigeria 2007 and workshop on Survey and Engineering for Geographic Information System (GIS) in California USA, in ESRI 2008. Other trainings include Training on International and Emerging Best Practices in GIS for human terrain analysis in India 2012; certificate course on Land Information Management for Sustainable Development of Cities in Morocco 2011; workshop on Succession Planning and Current Strategic Administrative Management skills at Centre for African Studies in Lagos 2012 and a certificate course on Developing Leadership, Effective Communication and Technical Writing at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 2013.


Surv. Dr. Fitka has 27 years of working experience, as a Surveyor and GIS specialist in the Land Administration of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He was the pioneer staff of the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) since 2003- 2016 and organizes and supervises the operation of the GIS and Survey Section of the Abuja Geographical Information System. This includes planning and supervision of property surveys, parcel subdivision and demarcation operations, certification of survey plans prepared by private registered surveyors and updating of Property Parcel Boundaries within the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) cadastral database.
Some personal skills of Dr. Fitka S Bilshaka include; Cadastral Surveying, Mapping, GIS, Remote Sensing, Database Management, Spatial Planning, Spatial Analysis, and Data Mining.


Dr. Fitka has held the following professional positions at the National body of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors from 2012- 2014: The former Financial Secretary, Nigeria Institution of Surveyors (NIS) FCT branch 2004-2007; the former National Financial Secretary, Geo-Information Society of Nigeria (GEOSON) 2005-2008; the former National Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Cartographic Association (NCA) 2002-2005; member, America Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM); member, Nigerian Cartographic Association (NCA); member, the Netherlands Association of Geo-Information Professionals (NAGP); member, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), member, International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS); former President of the Nigerian Students of the University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands 2008-2010; member, Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS); Vice President of the Geo-information Information Society of Nigeria (GEOSON) from 2017 till date; former Council Representative of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Federal Capital Territory. From 2018 to date, Surv. Dr. Nde Steve Fitka is currently the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS FCT branch).

AWARDS
Surv. Dr. steve Fitka was awarded Fellow, International Association of Research Scholars and Administrators (FIARSA); Awarded Fellow, Institute of Corporate Administrative Sciences (FICAS); Fellow, Civilian Institute of Democratic Administration (FCIDA) Nigeria and Ghana.
Dr. Fitka was awarded the prestigious Africa Merit Gold Award 2015 Award of Excellence from Lead Times

Africa, Lagos. He also bags the Zik’s International Knowledge in Leadership and Strategic Planning Award

NATIONAL ASSIGNMENT
Surv. Dr. Steve Fitka has been a member, Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform (PTCLR) of the Federal Government of Nigeria from 2012- till date. He was also a member Task Team on Computerization of the Cadastral and Land Registry of the FCT, which led to the establishment of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), a body that is the only official source of geospatial information for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in 2003. He was a member, Ministerial Committee on Mass Housing Scheme of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), July 2011. He was a Local Consultant to the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform (PTCLR) to develop Systematic Land Registration Software for on Land Surveying and GIS-related matters including harmonization and Standardization of Spatial Data Infrastructure across Nigerian states from 2010-2011.
The extracurricular activities of Surv. Dr. Fitka includes playing basketball, reading, travelling, and making friends.

His achievement and impact in the lives of many young people today define it all. Surv. Dr. Steve Bilshaka Fitka is a role model and astute leader, an icon to looked up to by many who derive courage and desire to strive harder for a better living. Surv. Dr. Nde Fitka is happily married and blessed with children.

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An epoch profile of Surveyor Dr. Fitka Steve Bilshakka by ViewpointNigeria

About The Author
- Studied Mass Communication from the University of Jos. He is a Media Consultant, Journalist, a blogger, public relations practitioner and an advocate for social justice.