Estate surveyors seek national housing data

Members of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) have advocated for an accurate National Housing Data Base to enhance economic development and provision of housing needs of the people.

They made the call at an Interactive forum orgnanised by NIESV on National Housing Audit/Data Collection held at Premier Hotel Ibadan recently, which is aimed at developing a uniform professional approach to the excercise.

The NIESV Housing Faculty Chairman, Chika Okafor, said the programme is necessary to develop a formidable National Housing Data Base for social and economic development of the country.

A lecturer from the Department of Estate Surveying and Valuation, University of Lagos, Mr. Chibuike Emele, who delivered the keynote address, said that welfare and health indices have direct relationship with the type and quality of housing.

He, however, said that this require information and data on the current situation of the housing problems in order to accurately define the problem both in quantitative and qualitative terms.

He said that the importance of a national housing data collection or survey cannot be over emphasized and completely exhausted because it has both direct and indirect significance with several links within the every sector of the economy, and creates values along the chain.

“Housing survey aids policy formulation by government, provides update information about the type, quantity, quality and composition of national housing situation and also reveals the adequacy and annual housing needs,” he said.

NIESV President, Mr. Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi, said a national housing data will contain general information and housing requirements, needs in terms of housing such as two bedrooms or three bedrooms, depending on the prospective buyers.

‘’It will help us to figure out the housing need and like what is the individual housing needs are, the geographical location of the land,’’ he said.