Surveyors urge govt to invest in real estate

The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers has called on the Federal Government and private sector operators to invest in the real estate industry to restart the economy post COVID-19 lockdown.

The NIESV’s National President, Rowland Abonta, made the call on the sidelines of an inspection visit to the institution’s headquarters building project in Abuja.

Abonta said the housing sector had capacity of restarting the national economy as the real estate industry required the services of a wide range of people both in the formal and informal sectors.

He noted that the sector could generate services, income, work and opportunities for Nigerians, either skilled or unskilled.

Abonta said, “This is so because this is a sector that engages the services of different crop of people either formal or informal workers, professionals, artisans, sellers, suppliers of building materials, among others.

 “It is a win-win for every sector player here. So my advice is that government and private operators should strategically invest in the real estate industry in order restart our national economy, post COVID-19.”

On NIESV’s ongoing building project, the president described it as a flagship project of his administration which seeks to ensure visibility and advocacy for the institution.

Abonta said the institution had invested in the area of advocacy since the past two years, but a lot of persons lacked knowledge of what NIESV was doing because of its low visibility.

“Now the building has given such visibility in the Federal Capital Territory, with construction of a road by the FCT Administration that leads to the office,” he stated.

He said the institution was now strategic, having gained visibility and abundance of accommodation, and would lease out some of the floors in the building to generate income.

Punch