Few days ago, the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers under its Chairman, ESV Gbenga Ismail held a Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (MCPD), a course which serves as an avenue for members of the noble profession to learn and become better in the field.
This year’s training programme was a massive one, centred on the theme: “Opportunities and Challenges in Joint Venture and Development Leases”.
The event was a day training programme held at NECA Building in Alausa, Ikeja. It recorded a huge number of participants; some were physically present while others joined virtually. The institution did well as they invited 5 experts in the industry as guest speakers and facilitators of the day. They all did justice to the topics given to each of them on the subject matter. They include; Lead Facilitator, Mr. Akintola Oladejo, Engineer Kayode Olorunfemi, Mr. Ayo Olanrewaju Kuyebi, ESV. Shonibare Ibidapo, and ESV. Okpaleke Francis Chukwuma. While the programme was in progress, CityPeople GM Production & Online Services; Wahab Bashir, Reporters; Jamiu Abubakar and Promise Babatunde interviewed the Chairman, Organizing Committee of the 2023 MCPD in Lagos state, ESV. Godspower Omozusi, spoke about the essence of the training and why it is needed at this point.
Below are excerpts:
How will you describe today’s MCPD program? How well has it gone?
It is a wonderful one. Even the turnout of delegates is very impressive. We never expected it to be this large. At the last count, we have a record attendance of about 240 and we have about 57 people who joined us online. So, it has been an interesting thing.
Looking at the topic of the programme held today, why did you choose the topic of discourse?
The benefit of joint ventures. It’s the main thing now. Just like the lead speaker was saying, it has so many opportunities therein. If you look at the prices they are offering, 2 billion, 3 billion, you can see that even if you have to, because whatever we do is on development. For developers in Ikoyi, you can imagine that if I am going to buy land first for 500 million, then have to look for money to build. So I should go into partnership here. With the person who owns the land. At least in the worst scenario we share equally. So the money I would have used to buy the land, I can equally use it to build. So that’s a great advantage to me. So a lot of people have been benefitting. The Surveyors, the agents, everybody have been benefitting. from this partnership. We are doing it for our members to be involved. To see how they can also be involved because, without the Estate Surveyors and valuers, you cannot even go to a joint venture. Because the developer wants to know what the cost of land is. Because like those who are not Surveyors, they give an arbitrary price. They just say this land is 10 billion. On what basis did you arrive at that number? And the owners also give an arbitrary price for their land. So that’s why it’s always interesting to get a surveyor to evaluate the land. So that the owner will know the value of his land. The person will also know what he brings to the table as a developer. That is the essence. We are also trying to make our members aware of how to go about joint ventures. We discovered that those who are not professional, have almost taken over this joint venture issue. You see most advertisements. Even if you are not paid 10% or thereabout no deal. So we have to enlighten them on how they can go about joint ventures. Even see from the facility to the resource people. They are fair, they have done justice to this topic today. And people are even excited and happy.
As the organiser of the event and looking at what is on grand -present, would you say the set goals have been met?
We are happy because it’s a step forward. We can easily see what we did not do right and the improvements we need to make. So in subsequent MCPD, we are deciding on what we need to do to improve. But so far so good, it has been interesting. And people are happy. People are sharing their opinions and views because they probably didn’t expect it this way, especially the turnout.
Tell us what the MCPD training is all about?
There is a body, Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration of Nigeria ESVABON. They encourage training and for attending the training they have a point they award. If it is a two-day training, they give five points. If it is a day’s training, they give three points. Which also has to upgrade the status of our great members. It’s a training program. One of the major things we do at the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers is to encourage members to continue to upgrade their knowledge. Especially this day, everything is dynamic, things are changing. That is why a man who is not upgrading his knowledge will not be relevant with the way things are going. You can see the young stars with computers, with digital systems, you have to be involved. We now see properties are online, everything is built online. So except you are within that, you have to belong to the new generation to be able to survive what is happening. So that’s why we encourage all our members to be involved in training. And this is one of the best ways we can encourage you. You can see even from the students, that we are not conscious of the money, we are just conscious of how they can get the knowledge. That’s why we have to meet the student 5000, probational 8000, associates 15000, Virtual 15000, and the fellow 15000. If you look at the cost and what we are providing, what we are going to provide is more than what they are getting, you know, but it’s just training. The goal is not to make a profit. Its goal is to make sure that people learn.
For the NIESV, Lagos branch of the institution, how many MCPD have you had under the present management?
This is the 2023 MCPD. For 2024, we are going to hold two sessions. Because we, the new Excos, came in May this year. So we only have the opportunity of holding one this year. By next year, we’re going to hold two MCPDs. So this year, we’re already holding one. This is MCPD 2023. For 2024, we are making arrangements to hold two MCPDs.
What are the other activities the institution has for the remainder of the year and the earlier part of 2024?
On the 17th of this month, we are having a Christmas party and getting together for members of the family in Ikeja.
Is the Christmas party and getting together also an event to be paid for by members?
It is not a paying event, the Christmas party which we are going to organize is not a paying event. Of course, we have the provision for that. As people are paying a subscription, there’s a part of the subscription we have already assigned part of the money for Christmas. And some incentives have been set aside to make sure that members, you know, take benefit. People are also helping by donating. but it’s not a paying event. So we don’t have to collect money for the Christmas party. Because it’s part of the responsibility of the branch to cater for members at the end of every year.
What are the take-home from the training?
Well, you see, people are happy with the knowledge they are getting today. Most of the things and the idea is how to go about joint ventures. It is an eye-opener for them to see what is nitty-gritty or what you need to do. How to go about it and how to partner, how to collaborate. So, it is a great idea that will help us to change the perception of the way we do business regarding joint ventures. Like we see when the first facilitator spoke. I also got it wrong when I did the joint venture. We decided to add a unit without carrying the landlord along. And we had to go to court. But with what we have learned today, we must have gone into an agreement, duly signed. Even when the agreement is signed, we see that some of the landowners deviate from it. So it is important that, even if it is going to take you one or two years, ensure that everything is in proper order. So those are part of the things I learned today. You have to ensure that proper documentation is reached and signed by all the parties involved in the joint venture.
What is your advice to members who have attended both online and physically?
The advice that I will give is that in any training that the institution is organizing, they should all endeavour to participate. There is one thing we must learn. Once you learn one thing it will help you to move forward, to improve in your own business. It is encouraging that every member should always attend training. Not necessarily training organized by NIESV but training with other bodies. Anything that has to do with the built environment; Town planning, surveyors, it is important that we should attend because we will learn one thing or the other that will help us in our business.
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