By Yinka Kolawole

A vibrant construction sector is crucial in reviving an ailing economy, especially when the real sector is in a state of coma.

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President, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Bode Adediji, who made the remark recently, in Lagos, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to use the construction sector to revamp the economy, arguing that the majority of unemployed people are artisans in the sector who are hit by the downturn in the economy.

He called for collaboration between professionals in the built sector and the federal and state governments with a view to tackling issues affecting the sector. “We see ourselves as major stakeholders to bring change through construction, and government should create enabling environment for this to happen. Once the real sector of the economy is in comatose, no other sector can revive the economy except the construction sector. Once the construction sector is in shambles the whole economy will be in trouble. We cannot continue to depend on trading to run an economy as large as ours,” he stated.

Adediji appealed to the president to appoint professionals as ministers in the three key ministries of Housing & Urban Development, Works and Environment, so as to move the nation forward in terms of infrastructure development and housing. “We want to see the president appointing seasoned estate surveyor and valuer as minister of Housing and Urban Development; we want the president to use our sector to revamp the economy,” he said.

The NIESV president wondered how the government intends to make the law on insurance of public buildings effective without making provisions for who values the properties before they are insured.

He also appealed to the government to explore  alternative building materials, arguing that this would help in bringing down the cost of housing while bridging the  housing gap. “We will support the government to do everything possible to reduce the price of cement because it has gone to an all time high and besides, the sector cannot afford the high cost as it negatively affects the provision of houses.”

He asserted that it would be difficult to effectively tackle the nation’s housing problems, with an estimated 16 million housing units deficit, and unemployment, if the price of cement remains on the high side and manufacturing sector is in comatose.

In the meantime, Adediji has also condemned the non-involvement of estate valuers in the activities of the Code of Conduct Bureau in asset valuation, calling on the bureau to redress the inadequacies as they are the only professionals trained to undertake asset valuation and management.

He wondered how properties declared by civil servants and politicians can be assigned a value without their input.