Estate Surveyors and Valuers Seek Stronger Government Partnership to Harness Land for Wealth Creation in Kogi
Estate Surveyors in Kogi State have reaffirmed their commitment to partnering with the government, its agencies, and the legislature to strengthen land administration, enhance compliance with land title processes, and ensure the effective use of land resources for sustainable development and increased revenue generation.
The pledge was made during the 2025 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development [MCPD] Seminar of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Kogi State Chapter, themed “Land Policies for Wealth Creation: The Role of Estate Surveyors and Valuers.”
In his lead presentation, Prof. Muhammad Bashar Nuhu—represented by Dr. Yakubu Suleiman—said the NIESV has continued to champion professional standards and advocate for reforms in Nigeria’s land policy sector. He emphasized that Estate Surveyors and Valuers play a vital role in unlocking land value, promoting sustainable development, and enhancing transparency in land transactions.
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Prof. Nuhu noted that for land policies to genuinely drive wealth creation, the government must adopt a unified and transparent land titling system to secure property rights for all Nigerians.
He added:“Streamlining land administration processes to reduce bureaucracy and corruption will help foster an efficient land market capable of supporting fair valuation and seamless transactions.”
He further stressed that strong legal frameworks aligned with international standards are crucial to achieve inclusive and transparent land governance.
Presenting separate papers, Dr. Olukolajo Ayodele, who spoke on “Land Policy Reforms and Their Implications for Revenue Generation for Government: Evidence from Kogi State, Nigeria,” and Barrister Apim Ajigosoko, who delivered a paper on “The Role of Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Combating Land Frauds and Sharp Practices,” warned that weak land administration contributes to broader developmental challenges.
These, they said, include landlessness, squatter settlements, slum expansion, inequitable land distribution, overdevelopment, and poor urban planning.
Both speakers urged the government to deploy modern technology and ensure easy public access to land-related documents as part of efforts to curb fraud and sharp practices in land transactions across the country.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Kogi State Chairman of NIESV, ESV John Oluwayinka Eniwaiye, stressed the need for technological solutions—such as digital land registries and real-time verification systems—to reduce corruption, protect property buyers, and ensure that offenders face appropriate sanctions.
Eniwaiye said:“Strengthening land policy will promote administrative efficiency, transparency, and reduce disputes while restoring public confidence in the system.”
He added that Nigeria’s land resources should be a major revenue source, lamenting that weak policies and inefficient allocation systems continue to slow economic progress.
“With the right technology-driven reforms, land administration can become transparent, accessible, and economically productive for the country,”he stated.
