Discussants at the World Facility Management Day organised by the Nigeria chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) have emphasised on the need to promote maintenance culture in the country.

The commemorative event, which also served as mentoring programme for students of higher institutions who were the focus of the programme, attracted several eminent speakers and guests, including the former Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, and the Chief Medical Director of Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Professor Wale Oke.

Focus areas of the discussion included “Facility Management in the Health Sector” and “Power Supply in Facility and Infrastructure”, while the students paid rapt attention during the session on “Economic and Employment Opportunities.”

Nigeria chapter President of IFMA, Mr Richard Okesola said that Nigeria must put an end to its inadequacies despite its status as the largest economy in Africa and 26th in the world, hence the focus on the young generation.

He said that the theme of this year’s event – Building Resilience for the Future – was quite appropriate as facility management has placed so much responsibility on the shoulders of its practitioners.

“Our primary assignment is to ensure that we bring all other professionals in the right measure and quality together and ensure that our respective services and products are integrated toward the creation of a beautiful, functional, comfortable, safe, secured, healthy and sustainable work place that has the capacity to improve our productivity,” he said.

In his contribution, Dr Idris stated that facility management was essential in the public health sector in order to deliver quality service. This, he said, would complement quality care to the patients, access to medicare and efficiency.

He explained that it was because of the importance of facility management that the Lagos State government pioneered the Office of Facility Management and Maintenance in Nigeria.

The primary objective, Dr Idris further said, was to ensure that all public buildings, facilities and installations operate at optimal capacity.

The department was also saddled with the task of coordinating and supervising safe and efficient operation, maintenance and long term preservation of the assets of the state government in a cost effective manner.

Two speakers from the power sector, Engr. Olumuyiwa Akinkunmi of Eko Electivity Distribution Company and Dare Oyedotun of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, stressed the importance of facility management in power generation, transmission and distribution.

Akinkunmi said that despite the huge infrastructure and other liabilities inherited by the new companies, the challenge could be overcome by a facility management team through dedication to duty, improved processes, technologies and safety practices.

Oyedotun said his company was committed to equitable power supply to all customers by leveraging on partnerships to achieve additional supply outside the national grid, efficient vending platforms, smart metering and transparent billing for energy consumed.

An affiliate of IFMA worldwide with headquarters in Houston, United States, IFMA Nigeria is a not-for-profit association incorporated in 1997. Its core purpose is to strengthen and advance the knowledge base essential to leading the integration and optimisation of the built environment worldwide.

IFMA Nigeria is charged to lead the progress of the profession by forecasting and directing the course of facility management trends, needs and outcomes. It focuses on sustaining the progress of the profession by supporting the success of practitioners through best workplace-related education, information and interaction.

IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognised international Association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 22,655 members in 78 countries.

•Photo shows IFMA Nigeria chapter members and guests with undergraduates at the commemoration of World Facility Management Day in Lagos.

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