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The Ghana Real Estate Professionals Association (GREPA) to host Africa Real Estate Conference and Expo in October
President of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), Expresses Concerns Over Architects’ Limited Role in Local Governance
Riyadh Real Estate Expo Witnesses Agreements Worth More Than US$29 Billion
GREPA to host Africa Real Estate Conference and Expo in October
The Ghana Real Estate Professionals Association (GREPA) is hosting the Africa Real Estate Conference and Expo 2023 in Accra from October 13 to 18, 2023.
This event brings together real estate professionals, industry experts, sustainability specialists, and technology innovators to explore proptech (property technology) and its impact on the real estate sector.
Proptech is gaining traction in Africa due to urbanization and technology investments. The conference will focus on sustainability, proptech innovation, networking, knowledge sharing, and its role in achieving sustainability goals.
GREPA’s President, Odette Nyame-Kumi, highlighted proptech’s role in green buildings and smart cities. The Vice-President, Juan Quaye-Mensah, emphasized the program’s aim to strengthen Africa’s real estate industry, urging industry players to participate.
Limited participation of architects in Ghana’s local governance
During a town hall meeting in Ho, as part of the 60th-anniversary celebration of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), Mr. Foster Osae-Akonnor, the President of the GIA, expressed his concerns about the limited participation of architects in local governance within the country.
He emphasized that out of the 18 Municipalities and Districts in the Volta Region, only one, the Ho West District Assembly, had a resident architect.
This shortage of architectural expertise at the local government level, he stated, hampers effective planning and supervision of construction projects, leaving Assemblies ill-equipped to monitor potentially hazardous building activities.
He highlighted that Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) often lack the necessary number of architects, and this deficiency has significant implications for Ghana’s built environment.
Let’s stay a while longer on this
Mr. Augustus Awiti, the Volta Regional Coordinating Director, stressed that unplanned cities continue to pose challenges and urged professionals in the built environment to collaborate to mitigate these issues.
He expressed the Region’s readiness to collaborate with planning professionals to promote a sustainable environment.
The 60th Anniversary Celebration, themed “Architects and the Community,” brought together traditional leaders, local government officials, staff, and civil society organizations.
Local Assembly leaders at the meeting expressed concerns about the high cost of architectural services and appealed for a review of charges and rates.
Civil society organizations in attendance raised issues related to accessibility and structural accommodations for differently-abled individuals.
They hoped that increased involvement of architects would help address these concerns.
Additionally, they highlighted the absence of drainage and necessary facilities in the capital and called for greater collaboration between Assemblies and architects to enhance effective planning.
Riyadh Real Estate Expo Witnesses Agreements Worth More Than US$29 Billion
The Cityscape Global Exhibition, held at the Riyadh International Exhibition and Convention Center this week, saw deals signed worth over $29 billion, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
Organized by Tahaluf, a company under the umbrella of the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones, had over 350 exhibitors, more than 10,000 international investors, 300 speakers, and 160,000 visits.
The Organisers said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the inspiration for holding the event.
One of the significant outcomes of the gathering, which ended Wednesday, was that over 3,800 housing units were booked for construction through the National Housing Company.
The indirect economic impact on Riyadh, including hospitality services, flights and hotels, exceeded US$25 million.
There has been a massive rise in applications to participate in next year’s event — four times this year’s registrations.
Source : Joycelyn Marigold & Diana Okyerebea – Property Express Magazine