The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has called for measures from both the federal government and the National Assembly to provide regulation for house rents, most especially in major cities such as Abuja.
The appeal is contained in a press conference delivered by the president of the Institute, QS Kene Nzekwe, in Abuja yesterday to commemorate the 31st NIQS Biennial General Meeting & National Conference.
Nzekwe observed that although the Institute has continued to provide guidance in terms of government policy, it is up to the concerned authorities to provide clear guidelines for regulating the housing sector.
“We shall continue to ask the government, the policymakers, even the lawmakers, to make possible either a policy that makes renting reasonable, a legislation that makes renting reasonable. You cannot ask for five million naira to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Abuja,” he said.
The president of the National Initiative for Self-Reliance also urged stakeholders in the construction sector to adopt technological innovations to promote transparency, fair competition, and investments in this sector.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re educated; if you’re not trained to do it, it is still quackery,” he warned.
He also urged support from the press to aid the Institute in dealing with encroachment in the profession, which he characterized as an increasing trend in this sector.
“We ought to be rescued from this web of people who attempt what they’re not trained to do,” he further added.
