The Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, has called on the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Anambra State Chapter, to partner with the state government in tackling criminality, rent exploitation, and environmental abuse in the housing sector.
Mefor made the call on Tuesday when the executive members of REDAN, led by the state chairman, Dr. Sunny Nwachukwu, paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Awka.
He expressed concern over what he described as exploitative practices by some estate agents, particularly the collection of excessive commissions from both landlords and tenants.
According to him, the state government is considering legislation to regulate agents’ commissions and curb arbitrary rent increases.
“A landlord moving rent from ₦1 million to ₦3 million is abnormal and unjust. There has to be a gradual adjustment to protect both landlords and tenants,” Mefor said.
The commissioner also condemned illegal levies imposed by youth groups on land developers in communities such as Okpoko, Obosi, and Oba, stressing that the government would no longer tolerate such practices. He described the sale of a single parcel of land to multiple buyers as a financial crime that would be prosecuted.
On housing development, Mefor said Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration favours private sector-led construction of high-rise buildings to maximise the state’s limited land resources.
“Anambra is the second-smallest state by landmass after Lagos and is shrinking due to erosion, while our population continues to grow. We must build upwards,” he said.
He assured the association of his support in facilitating a meeting with Governor Soludo and encouraged REDAN to formally submit its proposals. He also pledged to provide the association with existing environmental laws to guide members’ compliance.
In their separate speeches, REDAN State Chairman, Dr. Sunny Nwachukwu, and the association’s Emeritus Chairman, Sir Law Nkwonta, said the body had operated in Anambra for three years and remained committed to ethical real estate development.
They appealed to the state government to formally recognise and integrate REDAN into its housing regulatory framework, noting that several states require developers to obtain REDAN membership certificates before registering or developing land.
The association also sought collaboration with the Ministry of Information and the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) to create public awareness and strengthen regulation of the real estate sector.
Speaking on behalf of the association, Estate Surveyor and Valuer Dr. Nkiruka Aro said REDAN shares the government’s concerns over environmental sustainability and has already mandated a three-metre setback policy for its members.
She urged the State Assembly to include compulsory REDAN membership for developers in the proposed housing bill and advocated a public-private partnership to build vertical housing for civil servants on existing government estate lands.
Aro further proposed that estates with 50 buildings or more should operate a central borehole system instead of individual boreholes to minimise soil instability and promote sustainable urban development.
