Key Issues Nigerian FM Practitioners, Players Need to Address as IFMA Holds Maiden Advocacy Day

For the first time in the emergence and growth history of the Facilities Management industry in Nigeria, practitioners and players would converge on Victoria Island to promote the industry and advocate for businesses, governments and public recognition of the place of the industry in sustainable nation building.

While the event would be the maiden edition in Nigeria, Advocacy Day for the industry is not strange to practitioners and players in developed markets such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom. In the USA, for instance, the day has been used this year to share how the Facilities Management industry impacts state or districts. Many attendees shared what they learnt with fellow members, their teams and employers. In addition, IFMA advocates used the event to elevate FM and related policy concerns. Check reveals that 59 people have indicated that they would be at Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel venue of the event on 13th December, 2019.

Our analysts note that the event has indicated that stakeholders are ready to expand the industry through public outreach before entering the new decade next year. According to them, this has also established the fact that policy makers and governments need to pay specific attention to the industry because of its place in ensuring resilient and sustainable cities across the country.

However, players and professionals need to address a number of issues. For example, the newly inaugurated Association of Nigerian Facilities Management Practitioners needs to work with the International Facilities Management Association on evidence-driven advocacy. This is imperative because of the huge information gap between the supply and demand sides in the industry.

It would not be a misplaced strategy if corporate knowledge sharing is embraced by the practitioners.  The industry cannot do without this because the emergence of corporate knowledge sharing platforms is playing a significant role in eliminating barriers to sustainable knowledge management in businesses and industries across the world.