The Group Managing Director of Alpha Mead Group, Engr. Femi Akintunde has urged the government to empower facility management professionals legally, politically and physically, and ensure that they perform their regulatory responsiblies for the sector to optimise its latent potential.
In his keynote lecture at the third edition of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Nigeria Chapter Advocacy Day Conference, Akintunde acknowledged infrastructural developments by the government which would amount to colossal waste without the enabling environment for facility managers.
The conference theme, which held in Lagos recently, was themed: “The Economy of Facility Management: Harnessing the Value and Impact in Nigeria”.
According to Akintunde, “property appreciation depends on the quality of maintenance and there would be a significant economic leap if there is an enabling environment that will make businesses thrive, leading to increased profitability and productivity”.
The Alpha Mead boss encouraged other professionals to continually develop their capacity in the areas of renewable energy, as it is cheap and clean for humans. He said that this would help to reduce the challenges associated with global climate change, noting that corporate space management keeps shrinking as office space is being incorporated into residential spaces.
“It is only the savvy facility managers that will make the best of this emerging reality”, he said.
In his welcome speech, the President of IFMA Nigeria chapter, Mr Segun Adebayo said that the economy of facility management should be considered as it will lead to the transformation of the Nigerian economy.
“With the presidential assent to Executive Order 11, the facility management economy will grow significantly if effectively implemented as it will generate more business opportunities for industry players and jobs for relevant stakeholders”, he added.
During the panel session, the Group Managing Director of Fenchurch Group, Mr Olufemi Bakare said, “there are a lot of renewable solutions that must be embraced so that there can be a significant drop in the cost incurred by organisations on running generators. Organisations are running on gas, solar and wind energies now and these sources of energy need to be more optimised”.
On the panel, IFMA Nigeria Vice President, Mr Olalekan Adewunmi said that the association has worked in the last four years to enhance the capacity of artisans, particularly students of the technical colleges across Lagos State to enable them contribute to the development of the industry with their requisite skills.
The Allied Market Research publication of June 2020 states that the “facility management services market in Nigeria valued at $8.45 billion in 2019 is projected to reach $12.66 billion by 2027”.
Participants at the annual event included corporate and individual members of the association drawn from the private and public sectors of the economy.
