by Okechukwu Nnodim
The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers have rejected the monthly house rent proposal of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
NIESV President, Emmanuel Wike, told journalists at a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday that although the institution would meet the minister on the matter, surveyors viewed Fashola’s position on monthly rent differently.
About two weeks ago, Fashola identified exorbitant amounts of rent, ranging from one to three years demanded by landlords and property owners before they let out their properties as the major cause of housing challenges in Nigeria.
The minister also dismissed the 17 million housing deficit figure being brandished in Nigeria, stressing that the claim had no scientific proof.
Fashola then proposed monthly rent by property owners in order to make houses affordable homes for Nigerians in urban centres.
Reacting to this, Wike said, “As a major stakeholder in the housing sector, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers view the suggestion of the minister from a different perspective.
“The institution intends to visit him as soon as possible to deliberate and harmonise positions on the matter.”
On the claim that Nigeria had a 17 million housing deficit, the NIESV president stated that the institution was working on getting the right figure.
He said findings by the institution would be genuine, stressing that NIESV had also figured out that many abandoned properties were owned by the federal and state governments.
Wike said, “We wish to reaffirm the importance of data in addressing the housing provision. Data is a priority of the institution.
“We are at the moment updating the data we earlier produced on the Nigerian housing sector of which a copy was given to the minister at our 49th annual conference of 2019 in Lagos.
“No doubt, data produced by the institution would be reliable and acceptable to players in the real estate sector.”
He added that the institution would also endeavour to undertake the enumeration of wasting and abandoned properties, some of which belong to government at various levels, with recommendations on what could be done with them.