Surveyors Seek Inclusion In Physical, Town Planning Ecosystem

Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has identified poor physical planning as a major challenge to effective land and housing administration in Nigeria.

The institution, therefore, called for the inclusion of estate surveyors and valuers in the physical and town planning ecosystem to ensure sustainable land use, proper compensation and effective management of property resources.

The apeal was made yesterday at the 2026 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) seminar organised by the Kogi State branch of NIESV in Lokoja, the state capital.

A university don, Prof. Olurotimi Kemiki, who spoke on the theme, “Bridging Policy and Practice: Strengthening the Involvement of Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Development Planning and Implementation,” lamented that Nigerian towns and cities had expanded over the years without adequate development plans. He said the consequences were evident in houses being constructed close to roads, shops blocking drainage channels and industries springing up within residential areas.

According to him, such uncoordinated development creates conditions for flooding, infrastructure failure and other urban challenges across major Nigerian cities.

Kemiki said the consequences of poor physical planning became particularly glaring during prolonged rainfall, when roads were submerged, homes flooded, shops destroyed and newly constructed bridges rendered unusable.

He, however, argued that the problem went beyond corruption, stressing that the absence of relevant professionals in the conception and implementation of housing and physical development programmes was a major factor.

He noted that although Nigeria had robust laws governing land use and physical development, including the Land Use Act, the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act and various state planning laws, implementation remained weak.

He said estate surveyors and valuers were either marginalised or completely excluded at critical stages of the planning process.

Kemiki asked: “Who determines what land is worth when a road project displaces property owners? Who assesses compensation? Who evaluates the economic consequences of changing land use?”

He stressed that valuation must be an integral component of physical planning, noting that while government plans where people would live, roads would pass and businesses would operate, the economic implications of such decisions must also be considered.

He advocated the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Land Information System to replace scattered paper records and improve land administration.

According to him, the system should digitally capture land parcels, ownership, land use, roads, drainage, public facilities, development permits and property values, enabling authorities to assess the likely impact of proposed developments before implementation.

He said the adoption of technology would not replace professionals but would equip them with better tools to make informed decisions.

Kemiki challenged government officials accustomed to traditional practices, developers opposed to regulation and institutions facing funding constraints to embrace a fusion of policy and professional expertise.

“Our profession must not wait until development has already happened before we become involved.

“We must participate when plans are being prepared, contribute to land allocation, provide valuation and compensation expertise, and embrace GIS and digital land administration,” he said.

He emphasised that the objective was not for estate surveyors and valuers to take over the responsibilities of planners, architects or engineers, but to ensure that their professional expertise was incorporated into the planning process.

“A law sitting in a book cannot develop a city by itself. Plans must be implemented, institutions must work, professionals must participate, and land must be understood not merely as a piece of ground, but as an economic and social resource,” he said.

Earlier, the chairman of the MCPD, ESV Anthony Tifuna, described estate surveyors and valuers as custodians of the economic value of land and property.

He urged practitioners to take their rightful place in the built environment sector, charging them to move from the background and take a more active role in the physical and economic development of the state.

Tifuna also urged participants to connect government policies with real-world action by deploying their expertise to promote better urban planning, land use management and project delivery.

Similarly, chairman of the Kogi State branch of NIESV, ESV John Eniwaiye, said the association placed strong emphasis on continuous capacity building, which, according to him, had significantly improved the quality of services rendered by its members.

Eniwaiye urged participants to actively engage throughout the week-long programme, saying continuous professional development was critical to keeping practitioners abreast of emerging trends in land administration and valuation.

He said estate surveyors and valuers, as professionals in land economics, valuation and spatial management, had crucial roles to play in transforming statutory land laws into sustainable economic assets.

Eniwaiye commended the Kogi State Government for ongoing infrastructure development and urban expansion, noting that the developments had increased the demand for professional expertise in optimising land resources.

He specifically cited digital land administration and titling initiatives such as the Kogi State Geographic Information System (KOGIS), which he said had contributed to improved land management and increased internally generated revenue.

He urged members to continue bridging the gap between policy formulation and market realities by translating land and housing policies into sustainable spatial, economic and physical development.