The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) has launched a fresh increase in land survey fees in Lagos area, which is bound to affect the quest for homeownership and further compound housing crisis in the state.

The increase by Lagos chapter of the institution, which may engineer more to toe the same part of increasing their professional scale of fees in the built environment sector bodies, has unsettled the housing industry, while experts and private developers foresee increase in lands and housing cost.

The chapter had raised the land survey plan fees by over 500 per cent, starting from January 1. The indices for costing survey projects include job content, personnel, instrumentation, transportation and logistics, materials, value of land, type of vegetation, professional development and administration charges, and contingencies.

In 2017, the fees cut across different zones of the state. For instance, the Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry Ojo and Ajeromi Ifelodun local governments were raised from N120, 000 to N350, 000. Lagos Island, Eti- Osa, Ikeja and Papa went up from N300, 000 to N1million, while Somolu, Alimoso, Mushin, Agege, Ibeju Lekki, Kosofe, Lagos Mainland, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, increased from N180,000 to N650,000.

When the survey fees were announced in 2017, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) through its counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, wrote to the surveyors and asked them to suspend the implementation of the proposed increment to give room for further interaction and dialogue, with all stakeholders in the building industry.

REDAN also made a case that the increment will have a ripple effect on the cost of land as other professionals involved in the real estate business such as lawyers, architects, engineers, and town planners will also increase the cost of their own services, which will all be borne by the end users. “It will also rubbish the efforts of the government towards achieving affordable housing.”

Under the 2024 scale of fees, Lagos State is now divided into five zones. Zone A consists of Lagos Island, Ikeja, Eti-Osa, Apapa councils and Atlantic Ocean – All waterfront property within Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, Ibeju- Lekki and Apapa. Other areas include Ikorodu road – from Costain roundabout to Maryland (Odo Iya-Alaro) – (up to 200m from the edge of the road), Lagos/Badagry Expressway – From Orile Iganmu to Ijanikin – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road).

It includes Apapa/Oshodi Expressway – From Apapa/Tin can port to Ifako-Gbagada & Airport road up to MMIA – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road), Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway – Ile Zik to Abule-Egba – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road), Agege Motor Road – From Ojuelegba to Ile Zik – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road) and Lagos/Ibadan expressway – From the foot of the Third Mainland Bridge to Lagos-Ogun boundary – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road). The minimum survey fees range from N1, 575,000 to N42, 933,125

Zone B has a price range of between N1 million and N33, 242,117. Areas involved are Kosofe, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Shomolu councils. Others are Lekki/Epe Expressway corridor – All property along the Express road from Eti-Osa LGA to T-junction, Epe – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road), ibeju –Lekki council – All property within Mopo-Onibeju, Mopo-Ijebu, Mopo[1]Akinlade, Imam Lawal, Olorunkemi, Odusanya, Tiamiyu, Mosere-Ikogo, Iwerekun, Odusina, Awofin, Solu-orunmija, Okun-Solu, Igando-oridu, Enukunmi, Eleko, Debojo, Adesoye Oguntimeyin, Okun Badore, Solo-Alade Village Excisions.

It includes Akodo road to Okun Folu/Ise junction, Eleko road (Up to 200m from the edge of the road), Ikorodu road – From Maryland (Odo Iya-Alaro) to Ikorodu roundabout – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road), Lagos/Badagry Expressway – From Ijanikin to Badagry roundabout – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road), Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway – From Abule-Egba to Sango Toll Gate – (Up to 200m from the edge of the road) and all property on Egbeda/Akowonjo road, Egbeda/Idimu road, Isheri/Idimu road, Ikotun road, Shasha road, LASU/IBA road – (Up to 100m from the edge of the road).

Also, Zone C areas are made up of Agege, Ifako-Ijaiye, Mushin, Oshodi/Isolo, Alimoso councils (Iyana-Ipaja, Egbeda, Akowonjo, Idimu, Ikotun, Isheri-Olofin, Igando, Shasha, Ijegun, Egbe, Ayobo, Ipaja, Ikola, Meiran/Alagbado/Amikanle, Alakuko).

Others are Amuwo-Odofin council (Festac town, Satellite town, Ijegun-Egba, Amuwo[1]odofin, Ilashe, Abule-Ado), Ibeju-Lekki council (Abijo, Awoyaya, Elemoro, Lakowe, Eputu, Bogije, Onishon, Kajola, Onosa, Ayeteju, Igando, Eluju, Aparakaja, Fidiso, Sadiku, Gbadamosi, Paseda, Oribanwa, Bolorunpelu, Lagasa, Casia/Abiodun, Shapati, Igando-Oloja, Idi-Orogbo, Ibeju-Agbe, Eleko, Obadore, Orimedu, Akodo, Magbon-Segun, Idasho, Magbon-Alade, Ebute Lekki, Siriwon, Lekki town, Igbekodo, Osoroko, Okun folu and Alaro city, Okegun town, Oko-Orisan village. The minimum survey fees in these areas are between N750,000 and N25,931,588.

In the other two zones, Zone D -Ajeromi Ifelodun, Ojo, and Alimoso councils (Ijedodo, Ishefun, Ijagemo, Alasan, Egan, and Amuwo-Odofin -Kirikiri town and Ikorodu councils, as well as Zone E – Ikorodu council (all areas, villages not listed in zone d), Badagry and Epe councils, the fees range from N500,000 to 18,621,058 and N350,000 to N16,743,132 respectively.

NIS Lagos Chairman, Mr Olukolade Kasim, said the need to standardise the costing of cadastral survey works informed the introduction of Cadastral Survey Practice Policy in Lagos State.

According to him, the maiden edition of the policy was reviewed in June 2007, while another review exercise was carried out in April 2012. “Prevailing economic realities necessitated another review in 2017. However, the present economic situation brought to the fore the ever-growing gap between the remunerations for survey services and economic realities. “

There is the need therefore for a review of the 2017 edition to meet with the present economic realities,” Kasim said.

He advised surveyors to comply with the provisions of the 2024 policy and be ethical in their costing of cadastral survey works. “Lagos State is now divided into five zones as against the three in previous reviews. This is because most of the local councils are developing rapidly and so the variables of economic development and value of land and property in each area have become very dynamic.

“The drives by the government to ensure the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals and the attainment of the mega city status have brought so much development to the State. The 2024 Scale of Fees Review has also included strata surveys (multi-level building surveys) and it has provided instruction for costing,” Kasim added.

In response to the development, the Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr Gbenga Ismail, told The Guardian, said the increase will furthermore place hardship on any prospective purchaser of property.

“As you know, surveys are a must have in concluding transactions. That is what defines your purchase and inclusive in transaction cost. So, it means the cost transactions have immediately increased with such an increase. One can’t however blame the surveyors, as everyone is increasing costs so the effect of this is what we are seeing all over,” he said.

A past NIESV president, Dr Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi, said the institution is justified in increasing its fees as inflation has affected members of the built environment professionals. He said the cost of deliverables is high now, as the surveyors are adopting modern technologies in the practice, such as drones.