Hon. Joseph Nelson, Western Regional Minister, addressed the 40th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Valuation and Estate Surveying (VES) Division of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) in Takoradi on Thursday. He urged institutions operating in Ghana’s land and property sector to work together more closely, saying that professional partnership is essential to sustainable national development.
Speaking at the opening keynote, the Minister highlighted the conference theme, “Advancing Valuation and Estate Surveying Practice through Professional Collaboration for National Development,” and noted the growing need for professionals and institutions to collaborate in tackling challenges within the land and built environment.
Nelson stressed that valuation and estate surveying are critical to investment, taxation, compensation, public infrastructure, property management and land administration. He added that the expanding industrial, commercial, housing, infrastructure and tourism activities in the Western Region are driving demand for credible professional advice on land and property matters.
The Minister called for stronger collaboration among the Lands Commission, Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, financial institutions, traditional authorities, developers and professional bodies. He said such cooperation would improve land administration, reduce disputes, enhance spatial planning and provide greater certainty for investors and property owners.
He also urged practitioners to uphold the highest standards of integrity and to embrace emerging technologies such as digital mapping, geographic information systems and modern valuation methodologies to improve accuracy, efficiency and transparency.
Surv. Dr Benjamin Armah Quaye, Chairman of the VES Division, welcomed participants and noted that the conference marks four decades of learning, mentorship, institutional growth and service to Ghana. He said the rapidly evolving property sector, influenced by artificial intelligence, digital property platforms and emerging land‑governance challenges, requires coordinated action, knowledge sharing and sustained collaboration across professions.
Quaye said the conference is deliberately structured around practical discussions on innovation in valuation, real estate finance and investment, land governance, facilities management and brokerage, and that the outcomes should produce implementable recommendations to strengthen professional practice and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Earlier, Surv. Emmanuel Kofi Cobbold, President of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, outlined a broad institutional reform agenda aimed at strengthening the surveying profession and enhancing its contribution to national development. He highlighted the Cabinet approval of the proposed Surveying Council Bill and efforts towards its consideration by Parliament, as well as plans to consolidate the divisional conferences into a unified Surveyors’ Week and to develop a permanent Surveyors’ Complex.
The five‑day conference, held at Palms by Eagles Hotel in Takoradi, brought together valuation and estate surveying professionals, policymakers, academics, regulators and industry leaders to deliberate on emerging issues shaping Ghana’s land, property and built‑environment sectors. Participants are expected to develop practical strategies and recommendations that will advance valuation and estate surveying practice and reinforce the importance of professional collaboration in Ghana’s national development.
Nelson concluded by urging stakeholders to move beyond identifying challenges and focus on practical solutions, stronger partnerships and measurable outcomes that will endure beyond the conference.
