The federal government is reviewing the Land Use Act of 1978 to take out the sections inhibiting economic development in it, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, has said.
Mustapha disclosed this during the opening ceremony of the 51st annual conference of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) in Abuja on Thursday.
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“The federal government is aware of the challenges posed by the Land Use Act of 1978 to your sector, the building and construction sector.
“And this is why we have embarked on the review of those areas constituting obstacles to economic development’’, the SGF said.
He said the review would be done faster in order to foster economic development, especially now that the government is championing diversification.
He called on estate surveyors and valuers to work with the government in the reviewing process.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the President and chairman in council of NIESV, Emmanuel Okas Wike, said the government should hands off the building of houses in the country to the private sector and liberalise the sector like that of the telecommunication sector.
He said that this could be achieved with the amendment of the Land Use Act in the interest of the sector and the nation at large.
He called on surveyors to imbibe the virtues of honesty and trust because the services they offer were vital to the economic development and well-being of society.
He said the profession keeps a tab on members’ adherence to the guiding principles embedded in the Code of Professional Ethics and Practice while applying the stick to erring members without fear or favour.
This is the standard upon which the profession of estate surveying and valuation is anchored, he said.
In his goodwill remarks, a former president, Goodluck Jonathan, bemoaned the influx of foreigners into the country’s building and construction sector.
“If this is allowed to continue, the unemployment rate among our youths will continue to increase’’, Jonathan said.
The former president urged state governors to build training centres in their states where artisans in the building sector could be trained in the advanced building technologies.
He also urged successful estate surveyors and valuers to empower unemployed youths to reduce the level of employment in the country.
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