A building, once properly constructed is expected to be in use for a very long time.  Although every society has its own problems and Nigeria is not an exception yet the very recent challenges of buildings collapsing in various locations have been giving the various arms of government and the people of Nigeria sleepless nights in view of the enormous loss of huge investments in housing, properties and human life. The major challenge on the issue of building collapse is that individuals differ radically from one another on the professional to blame as the major cause of the collapse of a building. This study reviews current challenges in the building industry in relation to collapse of buildings, loss of lives and properties. Data for the study were obtained through structured questionnaires administered to landlords and professionals in the construction industry in addition to academia in the built environment. Historical data of past collapsed buildings in Nigeria were also discussed. Findings from the three prominent groups were varied. First, building experts blamed building collapses on the use of low quality building materials coupled with employment of incompetent artisans and weak supervision of workmen on site. Second, public opinion revealed that the blames of building collapse were due to non-compliance with specifications/standards, use of substandard building materials and equipments and the employment of incompetent contractors. Third, opinion of the academia on remote causes of building collapse showed that the route causes are mainly the non-enforcement of existing laws and endemic poor work ethics of Nigerians at large. The study recommends that the press should lay more emphasis on educating the public at large on the dangers of the collapse of a building and less on public emotions. In addition, government should, on one hand, embark on proactive steps by mustering enough political will to allow th...

The question about accuracy and consistency in valuation practice has been subject of interest to the academicians, professionals and users of valuations not only in Nigeria or developing countries alone but also in the developed countries of the world such as UK, USA, Canada and Australia. Property valuation is the core of Estate Surveying and Valuation profession. Thus its accuracy and/or reliability is critical to the valuers, their clients and the stakeholders of valuation in general. Earlier studies have confirmed the existence of inaccuracy and inconsistency of valuations in these countries including Nigeria. However, there has not been much study into the factors contributing into inaccuracy and variance in the valuation estimates by the Nigerian valuers. Hence, this study aims at examining the causes of inaccuracy and variance in the country's valuation practice. To achieve the objective of the study, the use of survey method in conjunction with personal interviews with some members of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers in practice and academic institutions in some universities and polytechnics Lagos metropolis were used for the purpose gathering data for the study. The data collected were analyzed with the aid of simple statistical tools. The findings revealed divergent causes of valuation inaccuracy and variance ranging from dearth of market data to lack of adequate training and experience on the part of the valuers and many more. The paper concluded by recommending the establishment of functional property data bank and promotion of the use of valuation standards by the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers and Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria the bodies responsible for the regulation of valuation practice in Nigeria.

Valuation inaccuracy has been attributed amongst others to behavioural issues such as the usage of Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristics. There is however a dearth in the research of the other principal heuristics namely availability, representative and positivity. This research is hereby aimed at discovering the effects of these heuristics on the accuracy of property valuation. To accomplish this, the study undertook a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 159 of the 270 Head Offices of Estate Surveying and Valuation firms in Lagos Metropolis, while 29 and 30 questionnaires were distributed to the Head Offices of the entire Estate Surveying and Valuation Firms in Abuja and Port Harcourt respectively. For ease of coverage, Lagos Metropolis was stratified into six zones; thereafter respondents were selected randomly. The respondents were required to carry out simulated valuations using each of the four types of heuristics and also with supplied current market data. The T-test at the 95 per cent confidence interval was employed to test for inaccuracy in heuristically determined values relative to the sale values (values of the ‘control’ properties). The result reveals that heuristic-determined values, particularly that of representative, are not as accurate as those derived from supplied current market data. The authors recommended more focus on research of representative heuristics while consistent usage of heuristics should be dissuaded, to prevent loss of clients’ confidence in valuation reports.

The main purpose of this study is to determine the various benefits an organization

The question as to whether solid waste landfills affect residential property values has long been a subject of controversy and debate. Previous studies have resulted in mixed conclusions. This study examines four landfill sites in Lagos which differ in size, operating status and history. The relationship between each landfill and property values were measured based on distances of 1.2km radii away from the landfill locations and the measurements were based on the interval of 300meters up to 1 200 meters in concentric rings.The result of the study indicated that across the four landfill sites, increase in property values were evident as distance away from the landfills increased indicating that residential houses in close proximity to the landfills suffered value loss. Property appreciation relative to distance averaged 5.75% within the concentric rings for all four landfills.