By Modupe Gbadeyanka
It was a day of joy for facility managers in Nigeria as they rolled out drums to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Nigerian chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).
The celebrants converged on MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos on Thursday, May 12, 2022, to mark the day, which coincided with World Facility Management Day.
At the event themed Leading a Sustainable Future, aimed at strengthening goals to achieve an improved facility maintenance culture in Nigeria, five students each from five Government Technical Colleges in Lagos, including Government Technical College, Ikotun; Government Technical College, Ikorodu; Government Technical College, Epe; Government Technical College Agidingbi, were equipped with toolboxes, safety jackets and safety helmets as their discipline of learning falls within facility management. The 25 students were promised employment upon completion of their education by some industry operators in attendance.
In his welcome address, the President of IFMA, Nigeria Chapter, Mr Segun Adebayo, applauded the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing under Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, for a commendable job in ensuring the assent of Executive Order 11 on National Public Buildings Maintenance.
“The effort of the Ministry of Works & Housing on this laudable achievement has indeed renewed our hope of providing professional attention to the country’s numerous facilities and her growing infrastructure. In fact with this feat, I am delighted to say that maintenance culture has fully resurrected in our nation,” the President of IFMA Nigeria said.
While speaking on the future goals of the association, Mr Adebayo revealed their readiness to continue to provide leadership and direction in the built environment through innovative initiatives, use of technology, specialized trainings and strategic collaboration that translate to the actualization of a transformative future in the built environment.
According to him, the theme of the event clearly validates the leadership of the association in the industry and also confirms them as a forward-thinking association, noting that, “This you can see in our endless advocacy and strategic collaborations with credible public and private institutions.”
He urged everyone present to be steadfast in the practice of facility management in order to lead a sustainable future.
In his keynote address, Mr Fashola reiterated the relevance of facility management, saying, “It is important to mention that facility management is a very expansive area of human activity that involves a diversity of skills whose impact will remain with us for a long time.”
He admonished the private sector to take ownership and responsibility for facility management because, according to him, the private sector accounts for the majority of buildings and infrastructure in Nigeria.
Present at the event were professionals across the construction industry, real estate and facility management professionals including Ms Nike Adekanbi, the General Manager, Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency; Engr Femi Akintunde, Group Managing Director/CEO, Alpha Mead Group; Professor Modupe Omirin, Dean of Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Lagos; Arc. Tina Onokwai, Director of Federal Public asset Maintenance in the Ministry of Works & Housing and other members of the association.
IFMA Nigeria was founded in 1995 by a special group of professionals drawn across the industries within the built environment including Architects, Civil Engineers, Electrical Engineers, and Builders, amongst others who had a burning desire to provide Nigeria with the opportunity of developing a maintenance culture that will shape the future of the country.
The association, in collaboration with the University of Lagos, has pioneered a professional master’s degree programme in Facility Management.
Adedapo Adesanya