PROFESSIONAL land economists have called for the reforms of the nation's Land administration as a strategy of improving government revenue and widening the income generation base of all tiers government in the country.They argued that reform of the land administration system would make land titling much more easier for property owners and boost mortgage operations, which have become comatose due to inefficient regulations and obsolete laws.President of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Emeka Eleh made the submission during a courtesy call to The Guardian with members of the National Executive Council last week, stressed that the government can generate more revenue from the collection of land use charges as well curb the housing deficit through the reformation of the Land Use Act.Eleh who was received by The Guardian's Senior management staff led by the Editor/Deputy Editor in Chief, Mr. Debo Adesina, disclosed that many individuals have access to land but without title to it. He estimates that only about 3 per cent of property owners have registered land titles.According to him, the Land Use Act was established based on a minority report, after members of the body raised an objection to it. 'We are glad that government is realizing this today.'He said that the Land Use Act remains the black spot in the nation's history, and the policy document if amended holds the key through property tax to provide a sustainable form of revenue generation and funding for housing schemes .'If government gives land freely, the opportunities inherent in property tax will be open. Even more states will have source of money generation.On the issues of estate agency and lawyers delving into estate agency, he said, 'we are more competent because of our training and because of lack of regulation, the issue has continued to generate interest among the public. But non-professional cannot be as the professionals.'We are concerned about the issue of quackery. The challenge is that it is not regulated. We want everybody that is practicing estate agency to operate under a body and be responsible to that body in terms of address and offer information.He also revealed that the institution is working toward ensuring a body for estate agents, and has finalized plans to publish rental rates and investment yields on property across the country.As a body, Eleh added that the NIESV had self-regulatory measures, committees and internal mechanisms that regulates and hear cases on issues bordering on its members.He however complained that some states are not heeding to the law that every Director of the land agency in all States of the Federation should be our member.Eleh lamented that the trend of declaring fake assets could be tackled if the government adhered strictly to the law says on assets declaration and bases its assessment on the professional input of the estate surveyors.According to him, 'One of the issues we raised with the Code of Conduct Bureau is that of asset declaration. We are all aware by virtue of the laws of this country that every public official is supposed to declare his assets upon assumption of office. And by the same law of this country, it is only estate surveyors and Valuers registered by the regulatory body that is authorised by law to determine the value of any given asset.'He said: 'Our members should be the first to value the identified asset before people are allowed to submit their forms to any agency of government to ascertain the location, description and other relevant characteristics of the property. But unfortunately what most of these peopledo is anticipatory declaration believing they will acquire such before leaving office.'Eleh noted that if the government could intervene in the aviation and agricultural sectors, nothing stops it from intervening in the housing sector.Eleh enjoined both the state and Federal governments to develop the needed infrastructure as part of their social housing policies. He also called for the adoption of a culture of maintaining existing infrastructure instead of allowing them to deteriorate.
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