Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos State Chapter Chairman, Olabisi Demola-Alade has advised government agencies and parastatals to engage the services of his colleagues in public assets management and valuation.
This is coming amid concerns about the usurpation of the role of professionals in the sector.
She made the call in her maiden media parley in Lagos.
She stated that like accountants and similar professionals, estate surveyors have requisite competencies, urging the administration to deepening awareness on the profession.
She said the branch has mapped out a 10-point agenda, which includes improving on members’welfare and resuscitating its visitation to about 40 estate surveyors and valuers’ firms.
“We plan to improve the relationship with the public sector, which is the regulatory sector of the economy and as the COVID-19 pandemic fizzles away, we would take advocacy of the profession to a greater height through visitation to critical stakeholders, such as community-based organisations and associations in places where its members have interest,” she stated.
On curtailing quackery, she said they were embarking on advocacy to encourage them to patronise only professionals.
She maintained that only estate surveyors and valuers have the requisite professional competence and statutory recognition under the ESVARBON Act, Decree No. 24 of 1975 now CAP E 13 LFN 2004 to execute real estate assets, management and provide professional advice.
“Unfortunately, the issue of quackery has become a big monster in our industry. There are so many people parading themselves as real estate agents who are quacks in the system. This is making it difficult to accord our members who are the real professionals the needed identification.
“We implore the public to patronise only NIESV members who are also accredited by the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON). It is only Estate Surveyors and Valuers that have such professional competence and legal recommendation to do valuation and other real estate matters,’’ she stated.
She said: “ We are visiting secondary schools and higher institutions , as the pandemic fizzles away, we will take advocacy of our profession to a greater height through visitation to critical stakeholders, such as the community based organisations and associations in places where our members have interest”.
On mentorship, Demola-Alade said the branch would embolden its Young and Passionate Estate Surveyors and Valuers (YPESV) to host innovative and leadership programmes and provide real-time mentoring for young practitioners by senior ones and plan programmes for students through quiz and essays competitions e on a periodic bases.
Demola-Alade said: “We would be working on a partnership among firms. While we may not be able to determine how members undertake their ventures, partnership among professionals is always a win-win for the parties. I believe, we can find a way to encourage partnership among members to build stronger and better firms for better service provision and improved profit margin as well as encourage durable ventures.
As the real estate business is very reliant on accurate data, Demola-Alade stated that the institution would also carry out research and development and data project.
The Vice-Chairman of the branch, Mr. Gbenga Ismail, called for increased awareness on the role of professional estate surveyors and valuers in the society, stressing that this would go a long way in eliminating activities of quacks in the real estate business.
On the need to have Mega Firms that can take up big jobs she said: “While we may not be able to determine how members run their ventures, partnership among professionals is always a win-win for the parties. I believe we can find a way to encourage partnership among members to build stronger and better firms for better service provision and improved profit margin as well as encourage durable ventures”, she added.
Source: The Nation
