The Role of Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Rural Development in Ekwulobia, Anambra State
Chapter One
Preamble to the Study
Now the services of the experts and professionals abounding our labour force are being sought for, and their advice being utilized. A critical look and study of the various hand use problems.
(LAND USE ACT) of 1978 in this country reveals that experts and professionals in the field of estate management and other related professions were not consulted for proper advice by the policy makers and implementations before making decisions. Today it is quite unfortunate that Nigeria which was once one of the richest third world country as an earlier said has fallen from grace to grass after her glorious days of the ever said oil-boom of the seventies. The nation has now become a debtor nation.
CHAPTER TWO
WHO IS A VALUER / ESTATE DEVELOPER
The estate surveyors and valuers Registration board of Nigeria, defined the profession of estate surveying and valuation as those engaging in the arts, science and practice of:
i Determining the value of all description of properly and various interest therein
ii Managing and developing estate and other business concerned with the management of landed property.
iii Determining optimum use of land and its associated resources to meet social and economic needs.
iv Determining the economic use of the resources by means of financial appraisal for the building industry.
From the above, one can define a valuer as one who specializes in the arts, science and practice of development and management, estimation of values of land, interest and its associated resources and the determination of the economic and social use of land and interest there in
AN ESTATE DEVELOPER
A valuer is quite different from a developer in estate development in the sense that an estate valuer has a good knowledge and experience in appraisal of development project, selection and acquisition of property finance for disposition of complete project and advise the developers in development decision. An estate developer takes loans from financial institution, receives, technical counseling from the professionals, particularly on the legislation or legal implication of such development.
The private functions in estate development are as follow:
i They provide opportunity for choosing atternative development.
Ii Identification of market demand.
Iii promoting the use of high calibers of expertise.
iv They have the ability ot bear risks.
The public functions in Estate development are as follows:
i They potentially recoup financial profit for the community
ii Retain-future control of land and land uses.
iii They consider the effects of development or re-development on the development adjoining lands.
iv Provide desirable development project not provided by market demand.
Professionals like the builders, architects, Enngineers, development controllers, surveyors etc are used by Estate developer.
CHAPTER THREE
CHARACTRISTICS OF RURAL AREA AND URBAN AREA
The concept of a place being considered rural has been defined in various ways in terms of population, concentration, land use etc. referring to land use as the major criterion, rural areas may be defined as parts of the country which have a relatively low population density and in which agriculture, forestry or up land grazing are the predominant activities. In other words, a rural area is associated with four main characteristics and they are as follows:
i A relatively low population density
ii Traditional attitudes and life styles
iii A landscape or habitant commonly recognized by its visual element as country side
iv Predominance of labour intensive, usually agricultural occupations.
Rural settlement are also villages which consists of harm**** lets, comprising some 50 to 100 widely dispensed compounds usually of members of the same extended family. This disposal of compounds arises from the nature of the land tenure system, in most part of Nigeria, land is communally owned and held in trus by the caincil of elders. The recent trend in population projection show that the available recreational open spaces or the village squares are no longer big enough to accommodate the rising population as a consequence, there is need to develop and provide more recreational facilities in the country side or rural areas. Here is the summary of the characteristics of a rural area and urban area.
POPULATION
The population in the rural area is relatively low of about fire to six thousands in village as compared to the urban ara where population is as high as over one hundred thousand in city. This is due to social infrastrures in the cities.
CHAPTER FOUR
NATURE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROPERTIES IN EKWULOBIA
The nature of the development as at today in Ekwulobia is growing from one administration to another in view of what life is in the area. The people of Ekwulobia as at today can boast of the following:
CHAPTER FIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATION FOR EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PROPERTIES IN EKWULOBIA AND OTHER AREAS
The present development in Ekwulobia as a case study, is a study that is packaged, designed to achieve a re-ordering of development patterns in this economy with a view of solving the fundamental problems of the community in particular and the nation in general. The directorate of food, roads and infrastructure whose sole aim is for the seeing to the welfare of the dwellers in terms holds to name but a few should see to the roads being awarded contract to the contractors on major feed*** roads in Ekwulobia are being done to a standarad as to meet the fest of time. The better life for dwellers also should monitor their set-up in this community (Ekwulobia) and it environs to see by themselves the progress made so far by their establishment in this community like the garri processing machine installed since 1989 has not worked for one day after the installation.
At this time, high inflation, and structural adjustment programme (SAP), the need for the public at large to be re-educated on the use of existing facilities in the area like Ekwulobia will not be over emphasized. Effective development in Ekwulobia and other areas can not be reached without the role of a noble profession and hence to put corrections in the mind of the public that Estate surveyors and valuers.
CONCLUSION
The development of properties taking a look at the Nigeria economy is blessed with huge natural and human resources, but for the fact that ordinary man looks at an estate surveyors and valuer as a mere rent collector, their professional skills in land administration and it development not supposed to be over emphasized. Infact they are under normal conditions to be care takers in any landed properties or the land it self since they know the legal implications ranging from landlord tenant relationship and other laws that have anything to do with general contract and property land laws.
The estate surveyors and valuer work hand to hand with the lawyers in all dealings. Many Nigerian may ask why he or she will employ an estate surveyor and valuer just for the purpose of taking care of their properties without knowing that estate surveyors and valuers play a lot of vital role in any development. This is the time when all should embrace the role of these professionals.
Finally, the national and state chapters of the Nigerian institution of estate surveyors and valuers (NIESV) should incorporate in their annual conference he education of the public on their role in the development of property as a machinery in building industry.
REFERENCES
- Thorn Croftm (1965): Principle of Estate Management London. The Estate Gazethe
- Lawal M.I. (1997): Principle and Practice Housing Management
- Nwosu Chukwuemeka (1995): The Project Cost Control Panacea for Abandonment of Project.
- The Quantity Survey Volume 20: (page 36) January / March 1995.
- Federal Capital Territory Journal (1989) Background History and Progress of the Federal Capital Territory.