Experts Urge Nigerians To Engage Certified Real Estate Professionals

Experts in the energy and real estate sectors have urged Nigerians to engage certified real estate professionals, just as they charged the Federal Government to localise electricity distribution in the country to improve supply and grow the sector.

They made the call during a panel discussion on Sustainable Energy Solutions in the Real Estate Sector at the just concluded Third Lagos Real Estate Market Place Conference and Exhibitions organised by the Lagos State Government and held at Victoria Island, Lagos.

The President of Female Lawyers in Real Estate Practice (FELIREP), Uju Peace Anomneze, cautioned Nigerians against cutting corners while seeking accommodation to avoid being swindled by impostors in the real estate business.

Anomneze lamented that many Nigerians in the diaspora are skeptical about investing in Nigeria’s real estate sector, advocating that a review of the State’s Land Use Act will further improve public confidence in the real estate practice.

In his remarks at the panel discussion, the Chief Executive Officer, Extradite Consulting, Mr. Eyo Ekpo said that the distribution of electricity was a local business and should be treated as such to allow the retail electricity distribution business to thrive.

Ekpo said the distribution of electricity should not be domiciled with the Federal Government but left to the state governments to handle.

In his words: “It is an aberration for nine electricity distribution companies only to cover the 35 states in the Federation. No country in the world does so. We live in localities, hence electricity must be localised to foster the desired improvement and growth we desire in the sector”.

The Chief Executive Officer, Viathan Engineering Ltd, Mr. Habeeb Alebiosu, said despite the activities of the regulator and distribution companies, not much had changed in the energy sector.

Alebiosu maintained that regulation in the energy sector should be consumer biased to increase the supply and distribution of electricity.

On his part, the Managing Director, Auxano Solar, Mr. Chuks Umezulora, demanded the domestication of the supply chain in the nation’s renewable energy.

Umezulora said governments must put up a policy that encourages the use of energy-efficient appliances, while practitioners must think about sustainability in building designs.

The Co-Founder/Managing Director, ELALAN Construction Company, Mr. Andre Geday explained it was no longer sustainable for his company to spend about N50 million monthly on diesel due to the poor performance of electricity distribution companies.

Geday appealed to the Federal Government to stabilise the sector to avoid the ripple effects of the expenses incurred by companies and industries on the end users of goods and services.

Managing Director, Nigeria Oolu Solar, Ms. Doseke Akporiaye, urges the Federal Government to reduce the cost of importation as it has hindered people from acquiring energy devices and solutions.

The CMO/Co-founder, Juststandout, Ms. Owen Inyang said before structures were built, energy should be included in the planning stage for self-sustainability and promotion of a green environment.

Deputy Managing Director, UBA Group, Mr. Muyiwa Akinyemi opined that practitioners in the real estate sector need unfettered access to finance and charged banks and financial institutions to focus on Environmental, Social and Governance sectors to ensure risk sharing in every loan request before granting them.