Lagos Certifies 3A Auction House, Nine Others
The Lagos State Government has handed operational licences to 3A Auctions and over 10 other auctioneers to practice the business of auctioneering in the state.
The State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye, who handed out the licences, said the move was in fulfillment of a law passed in 2015 by the state government which aims to regulate the activities of auctioneers and eliminate non-professionals from the system.
He said as the ministry directly saddled with the responsibility of maintaining order in the industry, they would ensure only certified individuals and firms operate in the sector.
Ogunleye said: “It is now mandatory by the laws of Lagos State for any auctioneer doing business in the state to be duly licenced by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative. Auctioneers contribute positively to the economy of any society and that is why we cannot just allow quacks to be in the business. It is an industry with large returns for the economy, and so only those who are certified will be allowed to do it.”
While expressing appreciation to the state government for the certification, the Managing Director of 3AAuction House, Mr. Abimbola Akingboye, said the development would boost their operations as clients would now have increased confidence in them.
According to him, the economy was losing so much due to the activities of quacks in the industry. He said: “I am really happy with the move by the Lagos State Government because with this recognition, we can now do business freely and knowing that our clients trust and have full confidence in us. Auctioneering is not just about disposing unused items; it is about attracting the right value to an item or investment in a dignified and hassle-free manner.
He said at 3A Auction House, a lot of time is spent to research on what the industry was lacking.
“We saw the loopholes and therefore set up our business to respond to the needs we have seen. It’s quite expensive to set up a proper auction business in Nigeria, however with the latest move by the Lagos State Government, we can now look forward to having great returns on our investment and also providing a lot of employment opportunities for Nigerians,” Akingboye said.
Registrar of the Certified Institute of Auctioneers of Nigeria, Mr. Hassan Adeleke, while also thanking the state for the certification, called for proper monitoring by the ministry to ensure that only those duly authorised do auction business in Lagos.