The President of the Association of Facility Management Practitioners of Nigeria (AFMPN), Olumide Aina, has called for increased investment in professional facility management to improve the quality, safety, and sustainability of Nigeria’s built environment.
In a statement marking World FM Day 2026, celebrated globally under the theme ‘Cultivating Belonging Through Built Environments,’ Aina said buildings and public infrastructure must no longer be treated as projects that are abandoned after construction.
According to him, hospitals, schools, offices, markets, and residential estates play critical roles in the daily lives of Nigerians and must be properly maintained to ensure safety, productivity, and inclusion.
‘For too long in Nigeria, we have treated facility management as an afterthought. Buildings are built, handed over, and left to decay. Power fails, water leaks, elevators stop, and safety is compromised,’ he said.
Aina noted that the consequences of poor maintenance extend beyond financial losses, adding that failing infrastructure leads to reduced productivity, lost opportunities, and declining public confidence in institutions and systems.
He described Facility Management (FM) professionals as essential contributors to national development, stressing that their work ensures buildings remain functional, hygienic, sustainable, and accessible to users.
‘We are the professionals who ensure buildings remain safe, functional, sustainable, and inclusive. We make sure a child in a public school can learn in a clean classroom, a patient in a hospital can recover in a hygienic environment, and a worker in an office can be productive without worrying about basic amenities,’ he stated.
The AFMPN president praised FM practitioners across Nigeria for what he described as their ‘quiet but impactful’ contributions to society, saying professionals in the sector continue to raise standards and improve service delivery across states including Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Benue, Port Harcourt, and Kano.
He, however, urged stakeholders to do more to strengthen the profession by investing in training, certification, and institutional partnerships.
According to Aina, young Nigerians must begin to see facility management as a respected and strategic career path capable of directly improving lives and supporting economic growth.
‘We need more training, more certification, and stronger partnerships between government, academia, and industry,’ he said.
He also called on public and private sector leaders to engage qualified facility managers from the planning stages of projects, warning that neglecting maintenance often proves more expensive in the long run.
‘The cost of neglect is always higher than the cost of maintenance,’ Aina added.
Reaffirming AFMPN’s commitment to advancing professional standards and capacity development, he said the association would continue working to ensure Nigerians experience the dignity of safe and well-managed environments.
‘Your work often goes unseen, but it is felt every day. You are creating spaces where Nigerians feel safe, valued, and included. That is the foundation of a stronger Nigeria,’ he told FM professionals.