Sustainable Built Environment

Stakeholders condemn activities of quacks in estate surveying

The President, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, Mr. Gabriel Fasoto, has condemned the unscrupulous activities of the some people in the estate surveying and valuation profession.

Fasoto, who gave a keynote address at the investiture of Dr. BolarindePatunola-Ajayi as the 22nd President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, said the development was capable of tanishing the image of the profession.

He said the institution should seek collaboration with relevant professional bodies and come up with effective measures to check and penalise errant individuals.

http://punchng.com/stakeholders-condemn-activities-quacks-estate-surveying/

Stakeholders condemn activities of quacks in estate surveying | Punch Newspapers Most read newspaper in Nigeria

Shelter Afrique, Chicason group in N55b deal to boost housing in Abuja

Fresh building blocks were again laid unto the housing sector last week, when the pan African housing institution, Shelter Afrique endorsed an agreement to support a private sector led effort in the construction of 3,000 unit housing programme in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The deal was sealed at the sideline of the 35th Annual General Meeting and Symposium of Shelter Afrique in Abuja between the Managing Director of Shelter Afrique, James Mugerwa and Chief Operating Officer, Afro –
Asia Shelters International, Francis Onwuemele in the presence of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
Under the scheme, the company would
provide 3,000 residential accommodation to
the Nigerian public particularly the Nigerian
worker in public and private sectors in the second phase of the Rock City II Jibi in Greater Abuja area. This phase will cost about N55 billion with Shelter Afrique contributing 59 percent while Chicason Group will contribute 41 per cent of the project cost.

The Rock City II development is following
after the N110 billion Rock City 1 in Lugbe
currently under construction by Rock of Ages
Properties Ltd, a subsidiary of Chicason Group. The company is developing decent residential estate across the country in partnership with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
During the signing the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU), Mugerwa noted that
Shelter Afrique remains committed to the shared vision of the founding fathers of the
organization, which is to tackle the ever growing housing deficit in Africa.

He said: “The objective of providing
affordable and quality housing to all is at the very heart of our mandate — it is the core of our operations.
“I am happy to inform you that as we
continue in our quest to deliver on that objective, we have created new systems and
drafted and put into operation a new strategy.”
Onwuemele said that Shelter Afrique, as a credible financial institution in Africa has
recognized the contributions of his organization to the development of the housing sector and has agreed to partner with them by providing the required funds at a friendly rate.
According to Onwuemele, his organization
has acquired 443 hectares of land at Lugbe,
Abuja from the Federal Government for the
expansion of their mass housing scheme.

He disclosed that the funds coming from Shelter Afrique will go a long way in helping
them to fastrack the partnership his organization entered into with the TUC to
provide affordable housing to Nigeria workers.
It would be recalled that Shelter Afrique have signed an MoU with the Nigerian Police Force, Customs Coop of Nigeria and Real Estate Developers Association (REDAN) for the delivery of affordable housing. In the units to the police force cooperative, the parties would execute a housing programme with a 25,000 benchmark in view, with the first phase delivering 3, 000 units between Abuja, Lagos, Ogun and five other operational zones.

In the agreement with Customs Coop of Nigeria. The two organisations will ensure
the successful delivery of 5, 000 housing units for members of the Co-operative.

Under the terms of the understanding, Shelter Afrique is expected to provide advisory services and funding while the Coop is expected will provide off take guarantee and equity contribution in the amount and timeline required by Shelter Afrique.

30% for capital projects’ll create jobs for quantity surveyors, others- NIQS boss

By Ikenna Asomba

THE President, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, Mercy Iyortyer, has hailed President Buhari for allocating 30 per cent for capital projects in the 2016 budgetary allocation which is believed to be the highest in the country's history, adding that it would create a lot of jobs for quantity surveyors and other professionals in the country's built industry.

Iyortyer, the first female president of NIQS who spoke at the 1st NIQS Job Fair for fresh graduates and undergraduates from South-West tertiary institutions last week at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, said
"One of the visions I have for the Quantity and Surveying profession is to create opportunities for our members. Students and job seekers are part of our members.

“When we discovered that there are a lot of job seekers out there, we decided to organize this job fair to enhance their job seeking skills. We decided to use this fair to teach them how to write and present good job curriculum vitae CVs, what to do at interview sessions,
who and who to meet as their potential employers, then, it would be the beginning of giving them hope”, she stated.

The optimistic Ivortyer added that "One good thing about Nigeria today is that for the first time in so many years, we have capital allocation of 30 per cent from the usual 12 per cent. Capital allocation in the past had never exceeded 15 per cent. So, this year, it has doubled.

“So, the chances for people getting jobs now is going to double. As an institute, that is our expectation. We appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for this vision he has for this great country, to take infrastructure
development to a new level. Without infrastructure development, there will be no national development.

"What makes first world countries industrialized is because of the infrastructure they provide for their citizens. By the time federal government provides infrastructure, there are high hopes for job seekers, particularly those in the construction sector to get employed", Iyortyer assured.

On his part, Obafemi Onoshile, deputy president, NIQS, said "The job fair is out of concern for our young graduates and even students. While at school, they have little or no counselling about what to do when they graduate. Or even, how they can apply what they are being taught in school. In many educational institutions, abroad, companies organize fairs to select best students in order to catch them young and groom them for their companies. But in Nigeria, no firm is doing that.

"So, we decided as an institution to kick-start it, so that as it expands, employing companies can start doing theirs. Employers and the institute put this fair together in order to encourage graduates and students of quantity surveying in the south-west region fulfil their dreams by giving them hope and aspiration, especially now where unemployment is a major issue in our country.

"In our own little way to create job opportunities for teeming graduates and students of quantity surveying, we have put in this job fair. Also, the fair is a way of developing our profession by giving new entrants the opportunity into the market. This is a win-win situation for the graduates and the employing companies, to expand the proficiency and sustenance of our profession", Onosile said.

The the job fair saw participants from building and infrastructure construction companies, MEP contractors, quantity surveying and multi-disciplinary consulting firms, human resource consulting companies, who were on ground to enlighten participants on how best to get employed after school.
Among the companies at the fair were: Julius Berger Plc; Arbico Building Construction company; Meksan Power & Distribution Transformers; Etco Nigeria Ltd. Engineering & Technical Co.; Construction Economists Partnership Limited (CEP) and Austin Onaro Associates, Chartered Quantity Surveyors.

Others were ITB Nigeria Limited; Costec Consultants; BQC Consultants Limited; FO. AB Partnership; Project IQ Service Ltd; Lambertelectromec Ltd; Billing Cost Associates; Elalan Construction Company; HOS Consult Ltd; VACC Technical Ltd; San-Latunag Ltd.

www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/30-capital-projectsll-create-jobs-quantity-surveyors-others-niqs-boss/

30% for capital projects'll create jobs for quantity surveyors, others- NIQS boss - Vanguard News THE President, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS, Mercy Iyortyer, has hailed President Buhari for allocating 30 per cent for capital projects in the 2016 budgetary allocation which is believed to be the highest in the country's history, adding that it would create a lot of jobs for quan...