The President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), ESV Bature Ali Muhammad, has called on the Federal Government to increase the supply of affordable housing to address the persistent rise in rents across the country.
He made the appeal during a press conference ahead of the institute’s 2026 International Valuation Day in Abuja, noting that while the body cannot enforce rent control on landlords, expanding access to affordable housing would help stabilise the market.
Ali Muhammad explained that the annual event, observed on May 5, serves as a strategic advocacy platform to promote awareness of valuation practices, highlight their role in economic development, and encourage policymakers in both the public and private sectors to recognise the importance of valuation in decision-making.
“As a critical stakeholder and key driver of Nigeria’s economic development, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers is using this opportunity to remind government, policymakers, government agencies, institutions, the organised private sector, and other stakeholders that valuation is a critical process in unlocking Nigeria’s vast resources, economic potentials, wealth, and in building economic prosperity,” he said.
He added that estate surveyors and valuers remain critical partners to government, especially within the ongoing tax reform regime.
“That makes Estate Surveyors and Valuers critical partners to government in the current tax reform regime, and this tells me that without the role and influence of Estate Surveyors and Valuers within the Nigerian economic development context, it would be very difficult for the nation to advance in economic development,” he stated.
The NIESV president further stressed that the profession’s enabling law, the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria Decree No. 24 of 1975, now CAP E13 LFN 2007, recognises valuation practice as the sole responsibility of estate surveyors and valuers.
According to him, estate surveyors and valuers are specially trained professionals equipped with the analytical expertise required to determine the current or projected worth of assets.
He reiterated the need for stronger collaboration between government and industry professionals to improve housing delivery, strengthen the property market, and support Nigeria’s broader economic development goals.
