Bennett Oghifo
The immediate past President of FIABCI-Nigeria, Mr. Akin Opatola, has urged the incoming leadership of the international real estate federation’s Nigerian chapter to build on the visibility achieved by the outgoing executive, deepen engagement with government and expand membership.
Opatola, who spoke on his tenure, said one of his major objectives when he assumed office two years ago was to make FIABCI-Nigeria more visible, noting that despite the organisation’s more than five-decade history, its activities were largely unknown outside its immediate professional circle.
According to him, the opportunity to host the FIABCI World Congress provided a major platform to reposition the Nigerian chapter and expose it to policymakers and international real estate stakeholders.
“We wanted to bring in Aliko Dangote. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get him, but we were able to get the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
He added that although the President was in Barcelona and could not attend because the event coincided with a public holiday, the Minister of Defence represented him, while three other ministers and the Lagos State Governor also attended.
Opatola said the successful hosting of the World Congress enabled FIABCI-Nigeria to establish stronger relationships with government officials and policymakers, stressing that real estate development could not be effectively undertaken in isolation.
“Real estate is an ecosystem. We need to bring everybody together—in fact, even the government and policymakers,” he said.
He noted that FIABCI’s international network had also provided Nigerian professionals with access to global best practices, which could subsequently be introduced into local policy discussions.
He disclosed that FIABCI-Nigeria would soon travel to Taichung, Taiwan, alongside officials of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Lagos State Ministry of Lands, to examine the country’s land administration system.
According to him, the initiative reflects the chapter’s decision to ensure that government officials are part of its international engagements.
“We thought it wise: let’s not talk to ourselves alone,” he said, adding that a mini-roundtable would be held between Nigerian and Taiwanese officials to exchange ideas on land administration and best practices.
Opatola also cited the UN Spring Symposium organised by FIABCI in March as another major achievement of his administration. Four officials of the Federal Ministry of Housing, led by Director of Lands, ESV Collins Alabi, participated in the programme, which focused on affordable housing.
He said the officials subsequently returned to Nigeria and presented their findings to the Minister of Housing.
He further recalled that Lagos State, during its real estate marketplace last December, invited FIABCI-Nigeria to help attract international participants. The chapter brought about 18 or 19 international and African real estate professionals to the event, a contribution he said was acknowledged by the Lagos State Governor.
However, Opatola admitted that his two-year tenure also came with lessons and shortcomings. Chief among them, he said, was the limitation imposed by the two-year leadership cycle.
“I thought time was my friend, that I would be able to do so many things,” he said, suggesting that FIABCI-Nigeria should consider extending leadership tenures to three or four years.
He said the proposal was particularly important because the organisation currently has fewer than 80 members despite being more than 50 years old.
“If we are fewer than 80 members in an organisation that is over 50 years old, it is not good enough,” he said, warning that frequent leadership rotation could eventually create difficulties in filling executive positions.
He also acknowledged that he sometimes relied too heavily on the advice of senior members of the organisation, noting that a president must ultimately be prepared to make independent decisions.
On the hosting of the World Congress, Opatola said the maiden event also presented valuable lessons, which had been documented in the organisation’s audited accounts and a formal lessons-learned document.
He urged the incoming executive to sustain the momentum, strengthen membership and continue positioning FIABCI-Nigeria as a bridge between real estate professionals, government and the international community.