- Firm to Create Awareness on Facility Management
Facility management firm, Eliezer Workplace Management, has unveiled a concept to improve maintenance culture in the country.
The initiative tagged: ‘My Lagos, Our Lagos’, is derived from finding a balance between government policies and how residents embrace them in their attitude towards infrastructure and the environment.
This, according to the firm, can be achieved through ‘ownership culture’, which involves accepting responsibility and being accountable, creative and innovative in infrastructure maintenance.
The Executive Director, Eliezer Workplace Management, Mr. David Korede, explained that the firm recommended the concept of ownership culture, as it would help improve the perception as well as the way people handle properties or infrastructure for their own benefits and those of others.
According to Korede, poorly maintained infrastructure depresses the quality of lives and contributes to anti-social behaviour that threatens the socio-political environment.
He added that the concept of ownership culture would be beneficial not just to the citizens, but also to the government.
He said, “To participate effectively and actively in management and maintenance of infrastructure, we need to take ownership of those in our communities. Apart from making cities attractive to visitors, it reduces the number of communicable diseases in the country and elongates the people’s lifespan.
“Experts say Nigeria needs to spend three to four per cent of its Gross Domestic Product on infrastructure building and maintenance. Much of the expenditure goes to maintaining existing infrastructure stock. Ownership culture helps to reduce maintenance spend on the part of the government at the three tiers, enabling it to concentrate on developing new infrastructure.”
Korede stated that a recent survey by Eliezer Workplace Management showed that adoption of ownership concept would have a positive effect on growth, economic stability and cost of maintenance.
He added, “Individual attitude and lack of proper maintenance culture has major influence on the present condition of the existing infrastructure. Maintenance culture in Nigeria is one of the lowest around the world, especially, in principal towns and cities like Lagos, where the majority of public properties and infrastructure are located.
“We are committed to taking the practice of facilities management to a greater height with international best practices through education, technology and information, using Nigeria as a pilot.”
