The Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), has urged operators in the built environment to continually upgrade their professional skills to remain relevant.
President of the institution, Mr Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi gave the advice while speaking with the newsmen in Lagos. He said that it was through involvement in programmes that could enhance their professional skills and competences that their values would be retained.
According to him, whenever there is recession in an economy, the building sector is usually the most hit, resulting to scarcity of construction activities and loss of jobs.
“This makes it paramount for the professionals to continually upgrade their skills and competences 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.
“Let us seek for ways to lift up the construction industry by continually embarking on researches and programmes that will enhance our skills,” he said.
Patunola-Ajayi said that the advice became necessary because in a period of recession, many investors tend to shun the real estate sector.
“Though the three essentials of life are food, clothing and shelter, shelter comes last in most peoples’ 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.
Patunola-Ajayi urged the Federal Government to invest more in the construction sector to raise the number of those employed and aid the country’s economic recovery.