The Oyo State House of Assembly has directed the state government to commence the registration of professional estate agents as part of efforts to sanitise the real estate sector and curb fraudulent practices.
The directive followed the consideration and adoption of a report presented by the House Standing Committee on Lands, Housing and Survey during Tuesday’s plenary sitting.
Presenting the report, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Bamidele Adeola, representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju State Constituency, highlighted pressing challenges confronting the sector.
He identified fraudulent activities, the proliferation of unregulated agents and persistent land grabbing as major threats, stressing the need for immediate intervention to restore order and protect residents.
Other lawmakers in their separate submissions, urged the House to adopt resolutions aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight and safeguarding property investors and tenants across the state.
They noted that effective reforms would enhance public confidence and stimulate sustainable growth within the real estate industry.
Presiding over the plenary, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, called on the Executive Arm of Government, through the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, to urgently take strategic steps toward establishing a comprehensive database for the registration of all real estate developers operating in the state.
The lawmakers noted that the initiative would promote transparency, ensure accountability, and curb fraudulent practices, including illegal extortion of residents.
They also emphasised the need for the Ministry to intensify engagement with associations of house agents across the state to facilitate proper registration, eliminate unlicensed operators and safeguard the interests of both tenants and landlords.
In a bid to ensure coordinated urban development, the Assembly further called for stronger collaboration between the government and private estate developers.
The lawmakers observed that such synergy would align private sector activities with the state’s physical development control plans and enhance orderly urban expansion.
Addressing the menace of land grabbing, the House urged the Executive Arm, through the Oyo State Properties Protection Agency Task Force, to intensify enforcement operations in identified hotspots, including Ido, Akinyele, Iseyin and Ona-Ara Local Government Areas.
The Assembly reiterated its commitment to promoting a safe, transparent and well-regulated property market, stressing that the measures are critical to protecting residents, boosting investor confidence and fostering sustainable urban development in Oyo State.