The national Vice President 2 of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Emma Wike has urged operators in the built industry to continually upgrade their professional skills to remain relevant.
He said that it was through involvement in programmes that could enhance their professional skills and competence, that their values would be retained.
Wike who disclosed this while speaking to aviation correspondents, yesterday, noted that the building sector was usually the most hit whenever the economy was passing through challenges like the recession.
According to him, the effects of the economic downturn most of the time result in scarcity of construction activities and then, loss of jobs.
“This makes it paramount for the professionals to continually upgrade their skills and competence to be relevant in the industry.
“Unless we stand our ground and maintain the standards of the profession, we may be swept away by the growing competition in the industry.
“For us to cope in terms of relevance, we will seek for ways to lift up the construction industry by continually embarking on researches and programmes that will enhance our skills”, he said.
The real estate expert posited that the call became necessary so as to sensitise operators in the sector because, according to him, many investors tend to shun the real estate sector in the period of economic downturn and challenges.
“Although the three essentials of life are food, clothing and shelter, but shelter comes last in most people’s scale of preference because it is only when one eats and is clothed that he may think of building or investing in housing”, he said.
Wike called on the federal Government to invest more in the construction sector so as to raise the number of those employed in the sector, and as well aid the country’s real economic recovery at the end.

Corlins Walter