UPDATED: Why Facility Management Industry Will Remain Undefined in Nigeria’s GDP

The facility management industry is one of the industries suffering from public recognition in the world. In the developed continents, facility management is not new, but in developing countries it has been wrongly considered as property and building management over the years. Like other countries, the industry is laced with a lot of opportunities in Nigeria. Despite this, it remains undefined in the country’s Gross Domestic Product measurement every quarter by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Infoprations’ check reveals that NBS measures the GDP using Agriculture, Trade, Information and Communication, Manufacturing, Mining and Quarrying, Construction, Accommodation and Food Services, Transport and Storage, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation, Finance and Insurance, Real Estate, Profession, Scientific and Technical Services, Administrative and Support Services, Public Administration, Education, Human Health and Social Services, Other Services, Electricity, Gas, Steam, and Air Conditioning Supply, Water supply, sewage, waste management and remediation as categories every quarter.

Critical examination of the categories indicates that there is no specific category for the facility management industry in spite of its significant roles in critical and soft facilities sustainability across the country. Many questions need to be asked and answered especially by the key players in the industry and the country’s statistics agency.

Is it that the industry is being measured within Other Services, Electricity, Gas, Steam, and Air Conditioning Supply, Water supply, sewage, waste management and remediation categories? If these categories are being used to measure the industry, it needs to be disaggregated. FM industry does more than these. 
According to Paul Erubami, Chief Executive Officer Max-Migold Limited, the industry is being measured within the administration and support services. 
Despite this, the industry needs specific category for proper measurement. Using these categories will continue to give inaccurate insights about the worth of the industry in the country’s economic growth and development.

Having successfully ensured the passage of the Facility Management Council of Nigeria Bill by the Nigerian Senate, will the industry be defined in the country’s Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2019? How do companies and practitioners define their future if the industry remains in the aggregation category in the next five years?