The Ogun State branch of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers has urged the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to seek an amendment to the Land Use Act when he takes office.

The call was made by the State Chairman, Bola Orekoya, during the celebration of this year’s Valuation Day with the theme “Valuation: Key to decision making for asset and resource optimisation” in Abeokuta.

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Orekoya explained that the need to amend the act as it affects land acquisition “is long overdue.” He said that conferring land ownership on the governor of a state has always deprived owners of the land by inheritance or purchase of their due benefit and compensation.

According to Orekoya, the Land Use Decree 6 of 1978, which is now an act, is long overdue for amendment, but because it has been entrenched in the Nigerian constitution, the amendment is pretty difficult.

He appealed to Tinubu to revisit and seek an amendment to the act where necessary, so that it can be used for regulating the acquisition of land.

Orekoya explained that the valuation day is set aside annually for “advocacy and awareness on the estate management profession and most especially roles of an estate surveyor and valuer.”

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In his remarks, the former branch chairman, Sali Shobanke, emphasized that “Land is a requirement for all aspects of life and since all development takes place on land, land must be taken seriously.

The only way land can be taken seriously is by introducing formidable policies to drive land and landed assets.” He urged the incoming administration to look at how to pass enabling and formidable policies that galvanise the economy.