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Workspace equality and inclusivity remain critical in promoting diversity and dynamism across all sectors of the economy. Despite recent progress, gender disparities persist in the real estate sector, including education and training programmes. This study employs a quantitative research design to assess gender diversity of real estate education at Federal Polytechnic Ede in Nigeria. The study focuses on female students' enrolment in real estate programmes, their experiences, perceptions and any potential effect on real estate career prospects.

A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 138 out of all the 150 female students currently enrolled in the real estate programmes. Descriptive statistics and a one-sample t-test were utilised for the data analysis.

The findings indicate an increased number of females enrolled in real estate programmes. Female students face a lack of access to mentorship opportunities and perceive gender discrimination and bias in the real estate industry. However, these industry factors would not deter female students' decision to pursue a career in the real estate industry after graduation.

This study to the best knowledge of the researchers is the first to investigate gender dimensions of real estate programmes in the context of African higher education institutions; thereby contributing to the body of knowledge on gender diversity in this field.

Cost of construction of residential properties as well as its subsequent rent trends remain a major challenge to stakeholders in the property rental markets of emerging economies. This study examined the relationship between housing construction costs and house rents fluctuations in Osogbo, Nigeria, to provide information for informed investment decisions.

The authors conducted a survey, where three sets of questionnaires were administered on building contractors; estate surveyors and valuers and private residential property owners. The data required comprise the estimated average construction costs and average market rents for two and three-bedroom bungalows in the study area from 2008 to 2018. These data were respectively sourced from all the 15 firms of building contractors and 25 firms of estate surveyors and valuers in Osogbo, Nigeria. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 180 property owners from three medium-density residential districts of Osogbo. Secondary data on macroeconomic variables were sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools.

The authors found a significant positive relationship (0.749) between construction costs and house rents trends; both variables maintained ascending trends. Construction costs and house rents inflation rates exhibited random fluctuations with the former having a higher mean inflation rate (10.47%). However, the difference was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.317 > 0.05). Respondents identified consumer price index (CPI) inflation among other macroeconomic variables as the strongest predictor of both construction costs and house rents fluctuations. However, evidence from further analysis of the time series suggested otherwise.

The result confirms construction cost as one of the vital supply factors of the housing market, which is often pass through to house rents. The positive relationship between construction costs and house rents trends should trigger new development which, will, in turn, allow rental housing investments to expand into new areas with prospects for profits that could be earned by domestic and foreign investors.

This study to the best knowledge of the researchers is the first to relate housing construction cost to house rent in Osogbo, Nigeria; thereby adding to the body of knowledge in this field.