The group chief executive officer of Global Properties and Facilities International, Dr. Mohammed Balogun, has criticized the facility management industry’s meagre contribution of just 2.3 per cent to the global gross domestic product.
According to The Punch, Balogun made this announcement at the recently ended Association of Facility Management Practitioners of Nigeria conference, which was held in Lagos and had the theme “Integrating Facilities Management into the Built Environment.”
“Awareness of the importance of facility management is crucial; there is much work ahead of us. Many buildings are not properly managed, so we are unable to classify them as facility management, and maintenance is still carried out in an antiquated manner,” he remarked.
“Facility managers play a crucial role. Although a building’s minimum life span is 55 years, today’s construction and design can only last 5 years, and those who build often overlook facility management. Additionally, by providing proper maintenance, facility managers can help people save money by reducing waste and boosting sustainability.”
Similarly, the Deputy President of the Association of Facilities Management Practitioners, Nigeria, Dr. Olumide Aina, stated that facility management required increased advocacy and integration during the conceptualization and design stages.
“Most people see facility management as a secondary profession, so we need to publicise the value of facility management more and build more relationships with key bodies that the engineers, project managers, among others.
“The general consensus is that once a building is constructed, facility managers can handle any problems that arise. However, facility managers deal with many difficult situations that could have been avoided during the design phase.
“We play a very strategic role, and we will continue to struggle with low demand and low valuation both locally and globally until we become aware of our essence.”
A member of the association, claimed that the continual collapse of buildings was being caused by violations of the Nigerian Building Code.
According to him, there are requirements that must be met, including those for soil testing, structural analysis, load analysis, and inadequate operations and maintenance. “Failure to do so will, among other things, result in repeated collapses. As a result, we need to focus a lot on advocacy, orientation, and capacity building.”
