Photo caption: L-R: Member, Board of Trustees, IFMA Nigeria, Mr. Tayo Bright; President, IFMA Nigeria, Engr. Sheriff Daramola; Past President, IFMA Nigeria and Olu of Olowo Town, Ogun State, HRM, Oba (Engr.) Ebenezer O. Soetan; Coordinator, IFMA Nigeria, Abuja Branch, Engr. (Dr.) Oluwaseun Yinka Alabi; Coordinating Secretary, IFMA Nigeria, Abuja Branch, Nnaemeka Samson Ebechidi; Coordinating Treasurer, IFMA Nigeria, Abuja Branch, Towobola Adefeegbe and Past President, IFMA Nigeria, ESV Stephen Ola Jagun during the Inauguration of the Abuja chapter and the 2026 Advocacy Day in Abuja recently.
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Nigeria Chapter has called for increased adoption of preventive maintenance and technology-driven solutions to improve the performance, sustainability and long-term value of public and private assets in Nigeria.
The association made the call during the inauguration of its Abuja branch, held on November 6, 2026, at the platinum LEED-certified AFREXIM African Trade Center, alongside its 2026 Advocacy Day.
The event, themed “Beyond Maintenance: Leveraging Technology for Sustainable Facility Management Practice in Nigeria,” brought together facility management professionals and stakeholders in the built environment to discuss the role of digital innovation, sustainable practices and professional standards in infrastructure management.
Speaking at the event, President of IFMA Nigeria Chapter, Engr. Sheriff Daramola, FMP, said the newly inaugurated Abuja branch would provide a platform for professional training and certification, industry collaboration, student mentorship and networking among built-environment professionals in the Federal Capital Territory and the wider northern region.
He noted that Abuja hosts critical national assets, including government ministries, hospitals, educational institutions, airports and major infrastructure, requiring strategic facility management to ensure operational efficiency and asset longevity.
Daramola said sustainable facility management should extend beyond routine maintenance to include energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, responsible procurement and the provision of safe and healthy indoor environments.
He, however, stressed that facility management solutions must reflect Nigeria’s operating realities, particularly energy reliability, infrastructure constraints and rising operating costs.
“We must also recognise that sustainable facility management goes beyond routine maintenance. It requires deliberate attention to energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, procurement, asset longevity and the provision of safe and healthy environments. Our approach must, however, reflect Nigeria’s realities, including energy reliability, infrastructure constraints and operating costs,” he said.
He urged government institutions, property owners, businesses, educational institutions and service providers to collaborate with facility management professionals in improving the planning, operation and maintenance of public and private assets.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore, represented by the Director and Head of Department, Federal Public Assets Maintenance Department, Arch. Chioma Wogu-Ogbonna, said the Federal Government was prioritising technology-driven and preventive maintenance to improve the management of public assets.
She disclosed that the ministry was advancing the deployment of digital maintenance systems while pursuing partnerships with IFMA to strengthen professional standards, develop industry capacity and support policies promoting sustainable facility management across federal assets.
Coordinator of the IFMA Nigeria Chapter, Abuja Branch, Engr. (Dr.) Oluwaseun Yinka Alabi, FNSE, said the branch’s newly inaugurated leadership would focus on membership mobilisation, stakeholder engagement, professional development and strategic partnerships.
Alabi, alongside Branch Coordinating Secretary, Nnaemeka Samson Ebechidi, and Branch Coordinating Treasurer, Towobola Adefeegbe, is expected to establish the operational structures required to strengthen the association’s presence in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the branch would immediately commence a structured membership mobilisation drive through stakeholder engagement, strategic outreach and collaboration with professionals across the built environment.
“We shall consult and engage stakeholders towards a common goal: strengthening our institution and repositioning facilities management as a strategic partner in organisational growth, operational efficiency and sustainable development,” Alabi said.
Students in built-environment disciplines from the University of Abuja participated in the programme as part of efforts to strengthen student engagement and professional mentorship.
The Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle (Asade Agunloye IV), who chairs the IFMA Nigeria Board of Trustees, was represented by the Olu of Olowo Town and former IFMA Nigeria President, HRM Oba (Engr.) Ebenezer O. Soetan, and ESV Abel Olawaye, FNIESV.
Participants also undertook facility tours of the African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) and the AFREXIM African Trade Center to examine the application of technology and sustainable infrastructure solutions in modern facility management.
The event also featured the recognition of members who have contributed to the development of facility management practice in Abuja. Engr. (Dr.) Samson Opaluwah received the IFMA Nigeria Lifetime Membership Award, while Ahmed Abubakar, Muhammed Usman and the late Collins Osayamwen, an IFMA Fellow, were also recognised.
