NIESV Screens 1,000 Candidates for Professional Membership

The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has started a membership interview exercise for prospective professional members. About 1,000 candidates are expected to undergo the assessment across three geographical zones. The exercise aims to assess the candidates' professional competence, practical experience, and readiness to practise as registered estate surveyors and valuers. Prospective members are expected to have undergone about two years of professional tutelage after graduation.

According to NIESV President, Mallam Bature Ali Muhammad, candidates must pass the institution's professional examinations before proceeding to the next stage. This stage involves preparing a synopsis, a critical analysis of their practical experience. The submitted work will be examined by the Membership Committee, which, upon approval, will invite the candidate for a formal interview. The exercise is taking place simultaneously in Abuja, Lagos, and Enugu.

The critical analysis is expected to reflect the candidate's professional exposure and knowledge acquired during practical training under the supervision of a senior professional member with at least five years of professional experience. The interview will focus on the candidate's practical knowledge rather than merely testing their ability to memorise professional definitions. Muhammad encouraged candidates to remain calm, stressing that the interview is an interactive platform for evaluating their understanding of the profession.

The NIESV president noted that the interview committees across the three zones had been addressed virtually before returning to his office. He added that candidates would be asked practical questions based on the areas of professional practice covered in their critical analysis, including valuation, facilities management, property management, acquisition, and conveyancing. The exercise aims to ensure that only candidates who have demonstrated the required academic knowledge, professional training, and practical competence are admitted into the profession.

Olushola Abeji, the Second Vice-President of NIESV, described the membership interview as a major screening stage in the process of admitting qualified candidates into the profession. Abeji explained that candidates must pass through foundation and intermediate stages, depending on their entry routes, and successfully complete several professional examinations before qualifying for the interview.

Abeji urged members of the public to distinguish qualified Estate Surveyors and Valuers from individuals who merely describe themselves as property agents or caretakers. He emphasised that Estate Surveyors and Valuers are trained professionals who have attended university, undertaken professional examinations, and completed the statutory registration process through the Registration Board before being recognised as qualified practitioners.

Abeji urged Nigerians to engage qualified Estate Surveyors and Valuers for property-related services, rather than entrusting such responsibilities to unqualified individuals. The public should understand that Estate Surveyors and Valuers are not merely agents or caretakers. They are professionals who have completed a minimum of five years of rigorous academic training, skills acquisition, and professional development.

Key points

• The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers is screening 1,000 candidates for professional membership across three geographical zones.
• Candidates must pass professional examinations and a formal interview to be registered as professional Estate Surveyors and Valuers.
• The exercise aims to ensure that only qualified candidates with demonstrated academic knowledge, professional training, and practical competence are admitted into the profession.