Estate surveyor to FCTA: Stop allocating commercial plots to individuals

An Abuja-based estate surveyor and valuer has called on the FCT Administration to recover all undeveloped lands in the FCT. Adamu Kasimu, who is the current chairman of the FCT chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), said plots should be allocated to people that are willing and able to develop […]

An Abuja-based estate surveyor and valuer has called on the FCT Administration to recover all undeveloped lands in the FCT.

Adamu Kasimu, who is the current chairman of the FCT chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), said plots should be allocated to people that are willing and able to develop them.

He said: “It is sad that government finds it convenient to allocate land in the central business district to individuals. You don’t allocate commercial plots to individuals who sell such plots instantly. Do they really warrant the allocation?” he said.

“Access to land in the central area of Abuja is very expensive because all the plots are committed. Secondly, the demand side of the market is also not too robust. If you look at the central area, there are lots of unoccupied commercial properties. You don’t release your entire plots to individuals because the future is there,” he added.

On the future of the estate surveying profession, Kasimu said “the future is very bright. If you look at the business district, it is not fully developed. We are expecting development in the near future.”