Professionals seek national platform to promote FM industry in Nigeria
After 20 whole years of operating as individuals and fragmented groups, facilities management (FM) professionals have come out with an initiative aimed to form an association that will provide a national platform for the promotion and development of the FM industry in Nigeria.
The platform is also expected to drive the contribution of FM industry to national development by leveraging international partnerships, standards and best practices in the development of local relevant standards, just as the association will work with various stakeholders, affiliate organizations, similar bodies, associated professional bodies and international FM organizations to achieve its stated purpose.
The professionals who gathered in Lagos recently under the aegis of ‘The Nigeria FM Initiative’, noted that Nigeria which started facility management practice before South Africa and Middle East, is the largest non-European/American participant in the World Work Place—an event organised by the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) and other FM bodies.
“As a nation, we do not have a national standard for FM; we do not have a body that is responsible for coordinating the affairs of FM in Nigeria”, Stephen Jagun, IFMA Nigeria vice president, noted, explaining that it was in an effort to bring all FM professionals in Nigeria together with the aim of developing and deepening the industry that a group decided to set up the Nigeria FM Initiative.
“We hope that this initiative will transform into a full fledged national body for FM industry in Nigeria”, he said, lamenting that unlike every other profession which has professional and regulatory bodies, the FM industry has no voice or agenda, wondering how they could ensure their profession would not go into extinction.
With a mission to be the reference point for FM in Nigeria and also a vision to make FM a major driver of the Nigerian economy, the association, when formed, will be representing the interest of professional facilities managers and companies practicing in the industry.
It hopes to be the voice of the FM industry in Nigeria through advocacy; influence government policies on infrastructure design, development and management; work with the Nigerian FM industry regulatory body to ensure practitioners , companies and developers adhere to standards, and also support professional development of members of all cadres.
The body will also work with universities in Nigeria to promote the development, learning and research on FM; conduct surveys and research projects for reliable industry data and become the source and validator for all industry data and information; organize conference and seminars to promote knowledge and development of the industry, and also reward excellence in the industry through awards and recognition.
Jagun noted that the day’s gathering, which had many industry practitioners in attendance including representatives of IFMA and British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), was their first step in a long journey of actions to be taken to ensure a national body of FM professionals was created in Nigeria.
“Our intention is not to scrap IFMA or BIFM but to relate with them for certification and support in standard development”, he said, explaining that IFMA has a robust certification programme while BIFM is strong in standards which Nigeria could adopt as a natioPage 2
Abuja luxury residential market defies recession as RI Index shows house price rise
In what seems to be market defiance, prices of luxury residential houses have gone up significantly in Abuja despite the downturn in the economy, the economic recession and the high exchange rates for currencies, the Roland Igbinoba House Price Index (RI Index) has shown.
In Lagos, for instance, the luxury residential market is having serious challenges, but from the RI Index, Abuja has a different story to tell. RI Index which is a review of house price changes from the third quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2017 across top luxury locations in Abuja, is an integral part of ‘The State of the Abuja Housing Market Report’ launched by Roland Igbinoba Real Foundation for Housing and Urban Development (RIRFHUD) in Abuja recently.
The index notes that prices of luxury real estate have gone up from what they were at the last quarter of 2016 (Q4) and, according to Roland Igbinoba, RIRFHUD’s executive Vice Chairman and President/CEO of Pison Housing Company, the price increase is explained by the fact that the need for luxury residential housing in Nigeria is on the increase.
“This rising need can be attributed to lack of basic infrastructures, which seems to push people to creating it for themselves and also an increase in the net worth individuals”, Igbinoba explains, citing a 2015 report by New World Wealth which shows that the number of Nigeria’s High Net Worth individuals (persons with net worth valued at more than $1 million) is an average of 15,400 people.
Explaining further, he says that these luxury residential properties are fully embedded with modern architectural designs and it is a known fact that Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, are the cities with the largest amount of luxury residential properties in the Nigerian real estate market.
The RIRFHUD report presents the findings of a representative household survey conducted in federal capital territory (FCT) Abuja to quantify the demand for affordable housing and related housing finance. Just as it also seeks to understand the supply side dynamics of the Abuja housing market.
In the highbrow areas of Abuja such as Maitama , a five-bedroom duplex formerly selling for N820 million has slightly dropped to N818 Million but the report observes that a four-bedroom duplex actually increased from N206 million to N209 million between the third quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017. In Asokoro , a five-bedroom duplex formerly selling for N136 million has increased to N141 million and a four-bedroom has gone up from N91 million to N95 million.
Similarly, a five-bedroom duplex in Garki increased from N257 million to N270 million, and a four-bedroom actually decreased from N136 million to N120 million while in Wuse area,a five-bedroom also reduced from N213 million to N188 million, and a four-bedroom from N169 Million to N161 million.
“The Guzape neighborhood also joined in the decreasing trend where a five-bedroom has dropped from N154 million to N107million, and a four-bedroom has dropped from N94 million to N84 million”, Igbinoba reveals.
He observes that access to decent, affordable housing is so fundamental to the health and well being of people and the smooth functioning of economies that it is entrenched in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Yet in many developing and advanced economies alike, cities struggle with the dual challenges of housing their poorest citizens and providing housing at a reasonable cost for low and middle income populations”, he laments.
Among other objectives, he reveals that the report is aimed to quantify and benchmark the affordable housing demand in FCT Abuja and satellite towns, and enhance understanding of the needs and challenges of low and middle income people in Abuja particularly regarding access to, usage of and requirements for the development of a sustainable low income housing finance
The report also aims to find out what makes for affordability for people across several income strata, measure related affordable housing finance demand in FCT and satellite towns, collect data on affordable housing options currently available to low and moderate income households and identify affordable housing and housing finance needs and preferences for financing options.
This report also aims to profile housing demand and needs across people of all incomes and geographic locations; understand the gaps and highlight opportunities for innovation, and make recommendations regarding implementation and administration of affordable housing and related affordable housing finance services to low income earners”, he informs.
CHUKA UROKO