The House of Representatives has received commendations from various stakeholders in the building sector, for introducing a Bill to establish the Nigerian Institute of Facilities Management.
The Bill, sponsored by member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue state, Hon. Philip Agbese, aims to promote the care, maintenance and management of building facilities in both public and private sectors.
The Bill also seeks to train professionals in facility management, who will ensure that the facilities are maintained in a way that preserves their value and functionality over time, rather than deteriorating.
Addressing newsmen during their visit to the National Assembly, President of the Associations of Facilities Management Practitioners of Nigeria (AFMPN), Mr. Paul Erubami , said that the Bill would address the problem of building collapse and loss of value, by integrating the concept of facility management into the national infrastructure development process.
He explained that the AFMPN is responsible for training, equipping and capacity building for Facilities Managers across the country, and that they want this to be incorporated into the public and private sector of the Nigerian leadership and public administration.
“The Bill would ensure that the facilities are planned, designed and delivered with the principles of facility management embedded in them, so that they can last and serve their intended purposes”, he said.
Erubami also clarified the difference between the Land Use Act and the Facilities Management Bill, saying that the former is about ownership and transfer of land, while the latter is about the maintenance, care and management of the buildings or infrastructure on the land.
He stressed that, “the Bill is more about the professional and systematic management of the facilities, to ensure that they retain and increase their value and quality over time, and that the users continue to benefit from them.
“The Bill would fill the gap that exists after the facilities are built and commissioned, by providing professional guidance and support for their sustainable operation and management”.
Earlier, while receiving the stakeholders in his office, Hon. Agbese, who is the Deputy Spokesperson of the House and the Sponsor of the Bill, reiterated the commitment of the 10th Assembly to enact laws that improve the lives of Nigerians, saying, housing is a matter that concerns everyone.
He said that the Bill is not only for the benefit of the stakeholders, but also for himself, other lawmakers and the entire population of Nigeria.
Agbese said, everyone lives or works in a building and that no one would want to see their building collapsed or deteriorated, adding that, “the Bill would ensure the quality and safety of the buildings for all Nigerians, regardless of their age, wealth or status”.
The Lawmaker also asked the stakeholders to pray for the success of the 10th Assembly, as they continue to make laws that have direct positive impacts on the citizens of the country.
The stakeholders who were led to the National Assembly by the President, Institute of Global Facilities Management, Omachi Jonah, include, representatives from various professional bodies and associations in the building sector, such as, the Associations of Facilities Management Practitioners of Nigeria; the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers; the Nigerian Institute of Facilities Engineering and Management; the Nigerian Institution of Builders in Facilities Management and the Institute of Global Facilities Management.
