Samson Opaluwah, Chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria, has called for urgent reforms to address the significant policy gaps and skill shortages in the country’s facility management sector.
Speaking at the investiture ceremony of Akpatre Ndaw as the 2nd National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Builders in Facilities Management, Opaluwah stressed the need for better recognition and support for facility management, a field he believes is crucial to national development but still widely misunderstood.
Opaluwah highlighted that, while the world is rapidly changing with new technologies and evolving workplace needs, Nigeria’s facility management industry remains stagnant, hindered by a lack of skilled professionals and inadequate policy support. He explained that many organizations still view facility managers as mere maintenance staff, ignoring their potential as strategic leaders who can drive business success.
To address these challenges, Opaluwah called for the creation of a national framework to standardize the practice of facility management, which he described as lacking universally recognized qualifications and certification systems. He also urged stakeholders to support the ongoing legislative reforms in the National Assembly that seek to regulate the profession and establish a regulatory framework to set industry standards.
Looking ahead, Opaluwah envisions a future where facility management is fully digital, with equipment automatically communicating its status and service needs, triggering supply chain processes and allowing managers to focus on remote monitoring and programming. Despite the potential of technology and AI, he emphasized the importance of education and mentorship in empowering the next generation of facility managers.
In his closing remarks, Opaluwah appealed to all stakeholders whether facility managers, investors, or policymakers to collaborate in shaping a more inclusive, innovative, and professional future for facility management in Nigeria
