Obaseki Inaugurates NIESV Secretariat in Abuja, Cautions against Quackery
The Governor of Edo state, Mr Godwin Obaseki, yesterday commissioned the national headquarters of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), cautioning against quackery in the built environment.
Speaking at the event in Abuja, Obaseki, while appreciating the pivotal role of NIESV in the development of Nigeria’s real estate sector, argued that Nigeria is currently contending with a number of issues in the built environment such as quackery, building collapses as well as real estate scams.
He maintained that these have called to question the place of professional bodies, challenging their existence and role as standard bearers.
But amid the challenges, he stressed that it was reassuring that the NIESV had held steadfast to its mandate, raising the standard for professionalism and ensuring that its members offer the best service.
He told the NIESV members that as professionals, it was not expected that the dire economic situation in the economy such as inflation and the attendant increased cost of living would have an impact on the work they do.
“In fact, the raging debate on the price of commodities, especially building materials demands even more subtlety from members of this great institution. It is in times like these that some of your clients would want to compromise on quality and ethics.
“But I trust that you are well versed in your practice to be able to guide them aright especially in the light of the dangers inherent in compromising on materials and standards when constructing public and private projects.
“The wide spectrum of the institution’s area of influence, such as plant and equipment valuation, project finance and management, land and building valuation, facilities and infrastructure management, real estate consulting, environmental valuation, business assets and intellectual property valuation, among others, put you in a very critical position in the economy.
“This implies that your coverage area has profound impact on the larger economy and places enormous demand on your members as we navigate these turbulent times in the light of foreign exchange crisis and its impact on valuation of assets within the country,” he noted.
In Edo state, Obaseki emphasised that he had made several efforts to restore sanity to the built environment, working with professional bodies such as NIESV to ensure that standards are maintained and that builders act professionally to deliver the best of services.