MY EXPERIENCE AND REPUTATION OPEN DOORS

His professional achievements are too rare to be ignored and his works have become the benchmark for the measurement of productivity and standard in the estate surveying and valuation sector in Nigeria.

However, what has made Barrister Chika Egwuatu, a property lawyer and estate surveyor and valuer of reference in this country today goes beyond the over thirty years experience he has in the profession, rather his astuteness, adherence to global standard and believe in due process have made him one of the Nigerian outstanding professionals whose professional journey deserved to be documented and studied.

A distinguished multidisciplinary professional, Chika holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Estate Management from the University of Nigerian a Diploma in Urban Renewal from the University of Ibadan and a Bachelor of Law degree from the Ahmadu Bello University. Starting his professional journey as an estate surveyor and valuer in 1982 at the Federal Capital Development Authority where he offered his service for five years until he voluntarily resigned to set Chika Egwuatu and Partners. His commitment to excellence and exceptional management of resources, no doubt, has contributed to the success story of this firm.

Surely, Chika’s decision to leave Zoology for Estate Management has been one of the best steps he has taken in life. Explaining what informed his career choice, the fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers and Member of the Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria said: “As a small boy with dreams, I did not plan to become an estate surveyor or a lawyer. I actually wanted to study Zoology not because the way the name sounded to me. I remember that whenever my school mates in secondary school asked me what I would study, I was always proud to reply them that Zoology was my choice. However, my curioucity made me to start checking for other courses in the UNN prospectus and I came about Estate Management in the book. I checked for its meaning and I was convinced that the course would give me more satisfaction. Consequently, I erased zoology and put Estate Management. And my decision to later study Law is due the experiences I had during my years of practice as an estate surveyor.

There were instances when some of my clients had to delay their decision taking just because a lawyer did not prepare their documents on time. Some even had to go to lawyers for legal insight and search on their properties and projects. This made me to go back to school to study Law so that my Chika Ewuatu & Partners could become a one-stop firm where both the surveying and valuation and legal services can be rendered to our clients. I must say that being a property lawyer with over three decades of experience in surveying and valuation has opened many doors of opportunities for me”.

A visionary professional with uncommon entrepreneurial zeal, Chika has led the firm in providing professional services to high profile public and private sector clients. The Managing Consultant, Chika Egwuatu & Partners has been involved in the execution of landmark valuation assignments like the valuation of assets of NICON Insurance in Nigeria and United Kingdom, valuation of federal government properties in Kano, Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna and Jigawa states. He has also gained international best practice experience having rendered services as a World Bank consultant and as one of the professionals engaged as privatization advisers by the Bureau of Public Enterprises. His firm also served as the Coordinating Consultant to 35 firms that were engaged for the Abuja Geographic Information System project, and the unprecedented success achieved with this project earned him the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Award for Excellence in 2008.

Passionate about human capital development and exemplary professional conducts, he highlighted the principles which have distinguished Chika Egwuatu & Partners among its peers. His words: “We have always been proactive by continuously updating our knowledge and skill. We also value and invest in our human resources, and above all execute our work in line with global best practices and work as a team because this firm is blessed with experienced, dedicated and exceptional professionals who are passionate about national development”.

Even when he has decided not to blow his own trumpet, his professional competence and continuous success have made him of one of the few patriotic professionals in the private sector whose experience and expertise are being utilized for nation-building. Barrister Chika Egwuatu was recently appointed as the pioneer Chairman of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority by the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Willie Obiano, with the mandate to prepare the master