 In September 1902 Guggisberg was employed by the Colonial Office on a special survey of the Gold Coast Colony and Ashanti, and in 1905 was appointed director of surveys in that colony.In 1908 he returned to Chatham for regimental work, but in 1910 was appointed director of survey in Southern Nigeria.Nigeria gave him full scope for his energies and organizational skills, and he compiled "The Handbook of the Southern Nigeria Survey" (1911) for the guidance of his assistants.