By Law Ibitoye
The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Ekiti State Branch, has urged practitioners to embrace science, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) as critical tools for addressing contemporary challenges in real estate practice.
This call was made during the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) seminar held on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, themed “Towards Meeting Contemporary Challenges in Real Estate Practice through Science and Technology in Nigeria.”
Stakeholders at the seminar agreed that traditional methods are no longer sufficient to address challenges confronting the profession, stressing that technology offers solutions to improve accuracy, efficiency, transparency and sustainability in valuation, land administration, property management, investment analysis and development control.
Delivering the lead paper, Professor Amos O. Adewusi of the Department of Estate Management, Federal University of Technology, Akure, said the future relevance and credibility of estate surveying and valuation in Nigeria depend largely on the effective integration of science and technology into professional decision-making. He identified key challenges such as rapid urbanisation, weak data systems, regulatory inefficiencies, climate risks, client pressure on valuation outcomes, delays in Certificate of Occupancy issuance and poor record-keeping.
Professor Adewusi noted that technologies including artificial intelligence, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, drones, data analytics, Building Information Modelling (BIM), virtual and augmented reality could significantly mitigate these challenges by automating routine tasks, reducing errors and enhancing market intelligence and service delivery.
Also speaking, Dr Chris Adebola Odeymi, Chief Lecturer and Dean, School of Environmental Studies, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, called for curriculum reforms in tertiary institutions to make GIS, GPS and AI central to estate management education. He urged ESVARBON to establish mandatory technical standards and advocated government investment in digital land registries, power and internet infrastructure. He added that MCPD programmes should focus more on practical applications of tools such as ArcGIS, QGIS and digital twin platforms.
In another presentation, ESV Oladeji Ibukun Ebisemiju spoke on the globalization of valuation practice, highlighting the benefits of adopting international valuation standards (IVS), including improved credibility, consistency, ethical practice and global acceptability of Nigerian valuation reports.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Ekiti MCPD Committee, Prof. I. A. Olatunji, said the seminar was designed to enhance professional competence and align local practice with global best standards. Similarly, the Chairman of NIESV Ekiti Branch, ESV Ekundayo Oluwasola, encouraged members to leverage emerging technologies to improve service delivery and client advisory.
Dignitaries at the event included the Chief of Staff to the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Adeniyi Adebayo, and the Clerk of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, who represented the Speaker, alongside other industry stakeholders.