Concerned about the high incidence of building collapse in Nigeria, experts have canvassed the use of structural engineers, building and construction process consultants, architects, and quantity surveyors to provide essential services in the real estate sector.
Olufemi Emmanuel Akinsola, national chairman of Nigeria Institute of Builders in Facilities Management (NIBIFM) believes that the use of these professionals will stop the use of quacks in the building process and prevent incessant building collapse.
Akinsola spoke at the second year anniversary of Akmodel Homes and Properties in Lagos recently. The event had as theme, ‘The Revolution in the Real Estate Industry: Identifying Causes and Proferring Steps to Forestall Building Collapse’.
He noted that blockchain, the infrastructure powering cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, is revolutionising the real estate market, pointing out that its transparency and security make it ideal for keeping real estate transaction records.
“Real estate companies have also established websites or platforms to help tenants and landlords. These platforms extract rent from tenants’ paychecks. So, the landlord can collect rent without any fuss. Next, you won’t need a realtor for you to discover a home or buyer,” he added.
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He urged real estate companies to set up a quality control and assurance department on their sites to prevent future building collapse incidents, and save lives and money invested in real estate building.
“Government should regard the real estate sector as a means of bridging the housing shortage, especially in Lagos, where housing needs is on the rise and each company’s list of consultants should be validated by their professional bodies for good standing”, Akinsola said.
Earlier, Abdulhakeem Odegade, MD/CEO of AKmodel Group, had noted that engaging quacks to manage or handle a building project as a way of saving costs would undoubtedly result in the collapse of the building.
“You can’t offer what you don’t have, as the old adage goes,” the CEO noted, adding, “we know the procedures and milestones to observe as professionals handling a particular project to prevent building collapse incident.”
He disclosed that the company was expanding across states in Nigeria with parcels of land in Lagos, Ibadan, and Awka as desired by investors and clients at home and in Diaspora.
Also at the event, Paul Obazele, a veteran actor, was unveiled as the company’s brand ambassador.
Odegade announced that the next line of action for them was the launching of Akmodel Media Estate, an innovation for players in the media industry to invest in the property business. “It is not mandatory for them to acquire and develop land before they can invest in the industry,” he said.
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