FM: 2016 in review and opportunities for 2017

2016 was a tough year for most sectors in Nigeria and Facilities Management (FM) was no exception. Economic recession was officially declared, partly due to previous profligacy, high levels of corruption, falling oil prices which led to dwindling foreign reserves, and of course a new government still trying to find its feet. With such an outlook, FM took a bit of hit during the year in review.
As more companies seek to deal with the challenges, non-core functions are often the first to be affected. For example, more clients opting to cut down on expenditures that do not directly add to the bottomline. In this regard, budget on FM is cut or delayed, leading to job losses in the sector. Conversely, this has also led to more companies outsourcing facilities management leading to some growth for FM businesses.
During 2016, I focused on several prevailing challenges that continue to afflict the sector in Nigeria such as the lack of a regulatory framework –FM related laws and policies that are found in different sectors and disciplines, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of FM; the limited curriculum and opportunities for improving skills of FM professionals; the lack of gender parity in hiring of FM practitioners, and limited opportunities for young women, especially in the so called technical fields; and the poor maintenance culture that pervades in Nigeria and the need for understanding and maintaining standards that are in line with global norms.
I shared experiences from other Africa countries particularly Rwanda, how the government has been able to, through an effective refuse and litter control, achieve a pristine environment that obviously adds value to the country’s vision of becoming the number one investment hub in Africa.
The role of FM in a growing economy was captured in all my articles during the past year, including understanding how maintaining facilities and infrastructure can add value to it, preserving history and cost saving. Others included paying attention to environmental consideration, the practical how-to in managing and maintaining buildings, and how organisations gain more by outsourcing their non-core functions to facilities management companies.
2016 also saw BIFM (Nigeria Chapter), in collaboration with BusinessDay, commission an FM Business Confidence Monitor. The conclusions were that the overall business outlook for FM is good and positive, with FM companies planning to expand their clientele base, increase online presence, adopt the use of technology to deliver better services and improve value for money through innovation. Other plans include increasing machinery, capital base and investment. FM Practitioners also saw growth in career opportunities and growth within the FM sector.
The opportunities for growth in Nigeria in 2017 and beyond are, however, immense but first and foremost is a clearly agreed definition of Facilities Management and in this way provide for a national regulatory framework on standards and protocols.
Integrating FM within other related disciplines, particularly in the design and construction of buildings will ensure a more coherent and cost effective strategy of managing built environment.
This will also lead to more effective networking among diverse but related professionals, ensuring that knowledge is appropriately managed and shared.
The adoption of technology is another potential for growth, as well as the opportunity to provide up to date skills for professionals in the field, working with universities and other schools of higher learning to link fresh graduates with FM job opportunities, improve curriculum and therefore contribute to reducing unemployment in Nigeria.
While 2016 was difficult, it is obvious that the opportunities in the sector far outweigh the challenges and 2017 will begin to show why FM is one of the fastest growing sectors.
Here is wishing all my readers a very prosperous 2017.