In a move aimed at sanitising the growing business of auctioning in the Lagos economy, the State government has begun the issuance of licenses to auctioneers, thereby making licensees the only legal operators that can engage in auctioning in any form within Lagos State. Speaking during the formal issuance of licenses to 20 certified operators in the State, Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye, the State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, said the certification of the Auctioneers is predicated on the Auction Law Cap12 of Lagos State 2015, which stipulates guidelines for regulating the industry. According to him, “This administration has initiated platforms to enable professionals to practice their trade and businesses without any interference or disturbance from quacks. It is mandatory that any auctioneer that will operate in Lagos State must be duly licensed. We are doing this in recognition of the importance of auctioning in any economy. ”The Commissioner posited that if people are allowed unfettered access to the business of auctioning without rules, their actions could be inimical to the socio-economic development of that environment, stressing that, “this is why the government is making sure that only qualified and licensed persons are allowed to practice.”While assuring that the government will continue to play its part by creating an environment required to effectively position the profession, Ogunleye warned that government would henceforth penalise anyone found operating illegally in the State. In his remarks, the Registrar, Certified Institute of Auctioneers, Nigeria, Mr. Adeleke Hassan commended the State for its effort, saying that he was pleased with the development and the certification process. He averred that certification of the operators will boost the confidence of the public in auctioning and attract patronage both within and outside Lagos.
