Global PFI debuts, seeks standards for facility market

FUELLED by the need to provide a holistic approach to real estate in the country, frontline facility management firm, Global Property and Facilities International Limited has re-engineered its services, and seeking assemblage of key players in the housing sector to create standards that will regulate and grow the industry.

  The firm, which is an off-shoot of the pioneering efforts of professionals in the industry, under the Facilities Management Company Limited (FMC), transiting to WSP FMC,  with the bringing on board of the global engineering design, project management and environment services company WSP Group in 2003. In 2012, the firm acquired Domme Facilities Management. 

   But changes in the global business focus of WSP led to its divesting business interest from facilities management in the only two countries facility management interest existed – South Africa and Nigeria in 2013. The focus for WSP now is purely engineering design and project management. The entity in SA, which was fully owned by WSP, was sold to Broll Group while the Nigeria entity was sold to existing shareholders.

   The Managing Director, Global PFI, Mr. MKO Balogun said: “With these changes, it became imperative that the Nigerian entity also refocus and rebrand and in 2014, the company was renamed, with focus on integrated facilities management, property management and infrastructure management.”

   He stated that the industry is facing a major drawback due to the lack of proper structure. “The current systems have not contributed to any significant improvement in the structure and professionalization of the industry. In South Africa and Middle East, there are very strong industry structures that influences registration, education, professionalism, global best practice, it cannot be done by one company or individual.”

     Balogun noted that “the real estate and facilities management industry is a part of the macro economy of any nation, the real estate in Nigeria is contributing about 7 per cent to Gross Domestic Product while the value of the contribution of facilities management, though not measured officially, it is roughly about 3.5 per cent of GDP based on the premise that facilities management has about 50 per cent impact on cost of the value of real estate over useful time.

       He disclosed that the current wave of development of commercial buildings, and renovations will prop up  demand for facility managers. “However, the lack of structure in the industry will continue to be a major drawback, in any economy where major changes are happening like in Nigeria without a proper industry structure, the benefits will be short lived, investment will be made, foreign companies will enter the market, which should be an advantage but lack of structure will drive them out of the market.”

   The Global PFI boss stressed that Nigeria is still falling behind in setting up a national agenda for maintenance, despite the establishment of Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA). “We need to set up facilities management departments and put in place structures that will ensure proper maintenance of infrastructure through Public Private Partnership (PPP).”