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RECTAS BRIEF

1.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 The need for a Regional Cartographic Centre was first mooted at the 1^st United Nations (UN) Cartographic Conference held in 1963 in Nairobi, Kenya.  Consequently, the 8^th Session of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Conference of Ministers held in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1964 passed Resolution 164 (VIII) calling for the creation of Regional Centres for Training in Photogrammetry, Photo-Interpretation and Airborne Geophysical Surveys.  In 1971, four founding member states (Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal) signed the principal agreement establishing RECTAS.  Four other member states joined afterwards, namely: Burkina Faso (in 1981), Mali (in 1982), Cameroon (in 1983) and Niger (in 1984). The Centre was declared open on 21^st October 1972 with the then Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Dr. R.K.A. Gardiner, as the first Chairman of the Governing Council.

 The Centre was then known as the Regional Centre for Training in Aerial Surveys (RECTAS) until September 1987 when the name was changed to the Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Surveys (RECTAS) with its scope broadened to cover Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing Applications and Cartography, including Geographic Information System (GIS) in keeping pace with the modern day technology.  Apart from the training capabilities, these major disciplines have very much strengthened the consultancy services unit of RECTAS to carry out important and large projects involving mapping, monitoring and management of natural resources and the environment, through the expertise of the professional staff and “hi-tech” facilities available at the Centre.

 2.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE CENTRE

 The objectives of the Centre are to:

(i)         provide theoretical and practical training in the field of Geoinformatics including in particular photogrammetry, remote sensing, cartography and geographic information systems and their applications in geophysical surveys, environmental studies, natural resources management, mapping, land administration, etc;

(ii)        conduct seminars and courses with a view to providing an opportunity to government officials in the region to exchange information and experiences in the field of Geoinformatics;

(iii)      carry out studies and research in the field of Geoinformatics, and;

(iv)       provide advisory and consultancy services to member states of the Economic  Commission for Africa (ECA) and other institutions concerned with geoinformation.

 3.0 ORGANISATIONAL ARRANGEMENT

 Under the new policy of UNECA, the Chairman of RECTAS' Governing Council is now elected from among its members to serve for two consecutive meetings in rotation.

 The Chief Executive of the Centre is the Executive Director, assisted by a Deputy Executive Director. The Centre is divided into Academic and Research Division, Administration Unit, Account Unit and Audit Unit. The Academic division has six (6) units, namely Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (PRS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Cartography, Information Technology (IT), Consultancy, and Library, Information and Publication (LIP).

 4.0 EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES

RECTAS' courses are bilingual: English and French, and are conducted at three levels of Technician (18 months), Technologist (18 months) and Post-graduate (12 months) for the regular courses.

 4.1 Regular (Long-duration) Programmes

 Until the year 2000, two courses were run namely: Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing/GIS. In 1989, 1990 and 1993, the Centre also conducted, on request, courses at Operator level in Photogrammetry.

 In May 2000, the Post-graduate (PG) course was modernized with the introduction of the integrated programme in Geoinformation Production and Management with specializations in:

a.       Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

b.      Geographic Information Systems

c.       Cartography

The new programme also commenced with 49 students at the Technician and Technologist levels in May 2001.

 As at December 2002, the Centre has trained more than 1200 public servants at various levels, excluding short-term training, from 27 African countries.

 Our trainees are normally career officers already working in (various levels of) Governmental organizations, especially the National Mapping Agencies, in member states of UN ECA with majority of them coming from RECTAS' member states.

 A summary of our new curricula in Geoinformation Production and Management at Technician, Technologist and Postgraduate Diploma is given below:

 
4.1.1. Technician Diploma Course (GPM.5)

  (a) Objectives

 After the training, depending on the area of specialisation, the graduate should be capable of performing very competently the routine tasks associated with the following: digitization/scanning of maps, spatial data acquisition from photogrammetry and remote sensing, database creation, attribute data entry into a geo-database and cartographic processes.

 (b)  Entry Qualifications

i.                   GCE/OL with credit in English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, and Geography.
ii.                 At least 2 years post-qualification experience.

  (c) Course Structure

 The Technician Diploma course is designed for duration of eighteen months, and is organized in four blocks.  The first block, which is common to all course participants, is structured in three basic modules of learning activities in Geoinformation technology in the context of the applications in which it is used; it is therefore very much problem oriented.   The second block of introduction to spatial data acquisition systems is also common to all trainees. The third block, the specialization block, is in turn structured with four modules based on the applicant's proposed area of specialization.  The last block is the final project.  More details are indicated below.

GPM.5 Course Structure

4.1.2    Technologist Diploma Course (GPM.4)

 (a) Objectives

The main objective is to provide a comprehensive training in theory and practice in the field of Geoinformatics at the level of supervisors.  After the training, the graduate should be capable of performing very competently the routine tasks performed by the technician and in addition should be able to carry out laboratory maintenance and supervision, and spatial analysis of georeferenced data. 

Furthermore, the Technologist should have the capacity to supervise Technicians in the routine tasks and relate to professionals in the planning and execution of Geoinformatics projects, and write draft project reports. 

(b) Admission requirements

  i.         GCE/AL with credit in 2 cognate subjects including Maths, and general entry qualification to University or Upper Credit Technician Diploma in Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Cartography, Surveying or any of the Environmental or Earth sciences;

ii.       At least 2 years post qualification experience.

(c) Course Structure 

The Technologist Diploma course is designed for duration of eighteen months, and is organized in four blocks.  The first two blocks, which are common to all course participants, are structured in three modules each, of learning activities in Geoinformation technology.  The third block, the specialization block, is in turn structured with five modules based on the applicant's proposed area of specialization.  The last block is the final project.  Details are indicated below:

GPM.4 Course Structure

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    4.1.3        Post-Graduate Diploma Course

 a.  Objectives 

This is designed for management level training for duration of 12 months. Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to contribute to the design, implementation and management of geoinformation production systems and quality control systems

 b. Admission Requirements

 To be considered for admission to the GPM.3 course, applicants should hold a university degree (B.Sc. or equivalent) from a recognized University with a good background in Mathematics and have some years of operational experience in disciplines related to Geoinformatics.

 c.  Course Structure

 The Post Graduate Diploma course is organised in five blocks. The first block is common to all course participants and is structured in three modules of learning activities in GIT. The second block of one module, which is also common to all course participants, deals with the various methods of spatial data acquisition and information extraction. The third block, the specialization block, is in turn structured in 4 modules based on the applicant's proposed area of specialization. Block 4 deals with modern techniques of information technology management. The last block is the execution of the final project.

4.1.4.  Target Groups for the Courses

 The courses are intended for those who are involved in the operational use of integrated geoinformation production and management systems in:

·        national survey and mapping organisations;

·        application oriented organizations (e.g. cadastre, local authorities, utilities companies, natural resources surveys, environment, private geoinformation production organizations),

·        private sector, NGO, etc.

 4.1.5.  Accommodation

 Participants on regular courses are accommodated in RECTAS' Hostels, situated within the Centre's premises inside the Obafemi Awolowo University Campus.

  4.2      Short Courses 

The modular design of the regular programmes provides opportunity for interested candidates to attend short-term training and retraining in any module or combination of modules of their choice. Thus organizations that are unable to release their staff for a long duration programme now have the opportunity to send candidates for short- term courses consisting of one or more modules in core areas of their activities. Apart from the modules, user-defined training courses either at RECTAS or in-house within the user's organization can also be mounted.

 Apart from the modules, user-defined training courses either at RECTAS or in-house within the user's organisation are also possible. For example within the last four years a total of 107 officers from 9 countries have attended short-term courses at RECTAS organised by the Centre or in partnership with its technical partners. These include:

(i)                  Workshop on Geo-informatics for management staff of Federal Surveys of Nigeria in three batches between 1999 and 2000.

(ii)                Staff of Hadejia-Jama'are River Basin Authority in 2001 on River Basin Information System.

(iii)               Staff of Federal Department of Livestock, Nigeria on GIS Applications.

(iv)              Six (6) weeks training on GIS Applications in Population Census Activities for staff of the National Population Commission, Nigeria in November 2002.

(v)                Five days workshop on National Geo-spatial Data Infrastructure for Sustainable National Development in November 2002 for all Nigerian Federal and States Surveyors-General, sponsored by the Embassy of France in Nigeria; etc.

 Furthermore, with its technical partners, especially the International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) in Enschede, The Netherlands and Groupement pour le Développement de la Télédétection Aérospatiale (GDTA) in, Toulouse, France, short-term courses were run in different application fields as indicated with the following four examples: 

(i)                  Two weeks course on Desktop Cartography in collaboration with ITC for participants from West Africa in 1998 and funded by ITC/Netherlands Government.

(ii)                One week Photo interpretation course in collaboration with GDTA in September 2000 and funded by the French Embassy.

(iii)               Two weeks refresher course in digital photogrammetry for geo-information production in West Africa, for ITC and RECTAS alumni from West Africa and Cameroon held in RECTAS in November 2001 in collaboration with ITC and LH Systems and funded by ITC/Netherlands.

(iv)              Two weeks refresher course on Novel Approaches in Geo-information Science and Earth Observation for Earth Systems Analysis, for ITC and RECTAS alumni from African countries in October 2002 in collaboration with ITC and funded by ITC/Netherlands. Participants were also sponsored to the 4^th Conference of the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE) in Abuja.

 5. MASTERS PROGRAMME

 To further meet the training needs of Africans, RECTAS and its technical partners, especially ITC have finalised running of joint Masters  (M.Sc. degree) programmes in Geoinformatics giving a very good example of north-south cooperation. The first batch of the M.Sc. degree programme has been scheduled to commence at RECTAS in October 2004. This is part of a new structural cooperation between ITC and RECTAS on joint education, research and consulting going beyond the age-long sister-institute relationship between ITC and RECTAS. In preparation for the programme and with funding by ITC/Netherlands, four senior academic staff members have been given short-term training in ITC and one staff member is currently undergoing a professional masters course.

 In the same vein, RECTAS is cooperating with Universities in the host country (e.g. Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) to run Masters programmes in GIS Applications.

 6. WEB-BASED DISTANCE LEARNING

 The rate of development in geo-information technology (GIT) is so rapid that it is often difficult for staff to be regularly released for retraining to keep pace with technological development.  The solution to this problem is to provide web-based distance learning programmes. Internet facility of RECTAS is therefore being strengthened with financial assistance of the French Embassy in Nigeria. The website is now being upgraded with the completion of the local area network (LAN).  This facility will enable RECTAS' alumni and the Geo-information community in Africa to keep abreast with the developments in GIT.

 7. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

 Apart from the above-mentioned examples of joint short-term courses, joint research activities are also undertaken or planned with RECTAS “northern” and “southern” partners. Examples include:

·        An on-going French Embassy sponsored project on Soil Degradation Assessment of the Kano River Basin in Nigeria, being jointly undertaken by RECTAS, Federal Department of Agricultural Land Resources (FDALR), Kaduna, Nigeria; Hadejia-Jama'are River Basin Authority, Kano, Nigeria and the National Agricultural Extensions and Liaison Services, Zaria, Nigeria.

·        Imparata cylindrical characterisation using Remote Sensing and GIS in the northeastern part of Nigeria in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria.

·        Environmental impact assessment of Ewekoro cement factory in Ogun State of Nigeria.

·        Environmental impact assessment of the West African cement production belt; case study of Nigeria, Republic of Benin and Ghana (planned), in collaboration with partners in Benin and Ghana.

·        Sub-regional Agricultural Database, (planned) in collaboration with regional and national research centres, ECOWAS and ITC, to provide knowledge-base for food security.

·        Environmental Impact Assessment of migrating livestock (Cattle and Camel) in southern Niger and northern Nigeria, (planned) in collaboration national centres in both countries.

 8. SUPPORT, CONSULTANCY AND ADVISORY SERVICES

 As part of its objectives, the Centre has been rendering consultancy and advisory services to member states in the areas of short-term/customized training and production-related jobs. Apart from the customized courses mentioned earlier, some of the services rendered recently by RECTAS either singly or under joint venture include:

 (a) Donation of analogue photogrammetry equipment (stereoplotters, etc) to 18 higher institutions of learning and production organisations in Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon.

 (b) Creation of GIS Database for the secretariat of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2001/2002.

 (c) Training workshop on the development of Hadejia River Basin Information System, Nigeria, including database design and actual implementation with real datasets in May and June 2001.

 (d) Production of 1/25000 scale digital base maps of three towns in Ebonyi state in Nigeria, in collaboration with Helzek Systems Nigeria. (On-going).

  (e) Production of Administrative/Local Government Map of Osun State, Nigeria in 2001/2002.

 (f) Transfer of map data from Computer Compatible Tapes (CCTs) to Compact Discs (CDs) in December 2002 for the Surveys Department of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMW & H), Abuja, Nigeria.

 (g) Repair of four (4) photogrammetric instruments (stereoplotters) in April 2003 for the Institut Géographique du Burkina (IGB), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

 (h) Working closely with UNECA's DISD towards the implementation of NSDI in African countries under the umbrella of CODI.

 (i) Continued membership of the Thematic Network on Ecological Monitoring and Early Warning System (TPN 4) in the framework of the struggle against desertification, under the auspices of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

 (j) Continued participation in the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE) and its various activities.

 (k) Active participation in the UN GOOS–AFRICA programme aimed at solving problems related to the Marine Systems and Oceanography.

 (l) Research project on Environmental Impact Assessment of the West African Cement Production belt; case study of Nigeria, Republic of Benin and Ghana, planned for execution in 2003 in collaboration with organizations in Benin and Ghana.

 (m) A research project on Environmental Impact Assessment concerning migrating livestock (cattle and camels) in Southern Niger and Northern Nigeria.

 (n) RECTAS is also working with various Nigerian Government agencies on issues related to GI especially on the implementation of the National Geo-spatial Data Infrastructure, for which RECTAS is serving as Consultant to the Lead Agency (National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)).

 (o) Environmental sensitivity index (ESI) mapping of some Shell Development Company's Oil Fields in Nigeria. In collaboration with Mail Oil Field services Ltd., July 1997

 (p) National Workshop on Agricultural and Environmental Applications of Remote Sensing and GIS. Jointly organized by FAO/RECTAS/NASENI (National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure) in Nov/Dec 1994.

 (q) Digital Base Map Production of Ibadan, Nigeria at 1/25,000 and 1/50,000 scales for the Sustainable Ibadan Project (SIP), United Nation's Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS). Completed in 1995.

 9.0 TRAINING FACILITIES

 In addition to the skilled manpower available in RECTAS, the Centre has modern Digital Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System, Cartography and Internet Laboratories, which are well equipped with modern hardware and software packages.

 10.0 TECHNICAL PARTNERS

 RECTAS' technical partners include: ITC, Enschede, The Netherlands (since inception of RECTAS in 1972; the Centre is a sister Institute of ITC); GDTA, Toulouse, France; CIRAD, France; AGRHYMET Regional Centre, Niamey, Niger and ECOWAS.

 For further information, please contact:

The Executive Director

Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Surveys (RECTAS)

Off Road 1, Obafemi Awolowo University Campus,

P.M.B 5545, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

E-mail: info@rectas.org or rectasinfo@yahoo.com or rectas@oauife.edu.ng

Website:  http://www.uneca.org/rectas or http://www.rectas.org

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> RECTAS Alumni>Relevant websites