The article discusses Mr. Akin Opatola's reflections on his time as President of FIABCI-Nigeria, an organization focused on real estate. He emphasizes that the new leadership should continue to increase the organization's visibility, engage more with the government, and grow its membership. During his two-year term, Opatola aimed to make FIABCI-Nigeria better known, as many people were unaware of its activities despite its long history. A significant achievement was hosting the FIABCI World Congress, which helped connect the organization with important government officials and international real estate experts, even though they couldn't get a high-profile guest, Aliko Dangote, to attend. Opatola believes that real estate development needs collaboration with the government and other stakeholders. He mentioned plans for FIABCI-Nigeria to visit Taiwan to learn about their land management practices, highlighting the importance of involving government officials in these discussions. He also noted past successes, like participation in a UN symposium on affordable housing, which brought valuable insights back to Nigeria. However, he pointed out challenges, such as the short two-year leadership term, which he feels should be extended to allow for more impactful work. He expressed concern about the organization's low membership, with fewer than 80 members despite being over 50 years old, and the difficulties this could cause in leadership transitions. Overall, Opatola urged the next leaders to build on the progress made, strengthen ties with the government, and enhance membership to improve the organization’s effectiveness in the real estate sector.
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