16 November 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal
The BIFM and its committee in Nigeria have published the findings from the Facilities Management Business Confidence Monitor 2016/17 Nigeria.
The 197 respondents who took part in the survey recognise the growing and professionalising facilities management (FM) industry within the region despite undercurrents of economic uncertainty across Nigeria.
Key findings include an optimism and positivity around the industry, a projected investment in FM training and development and an increasing use of technology amidst a recession in the region.
The report reveals that 84 per cent of respondents are of the opinion that the industry will do better in the next 12 months while just 1 per cent say it will deteriorate over the next 12 months. Respondents attribute this optimism to an increasing awareness of FM in Nigeria, an improvement of services in FM companies and an increased outsourcing as a result of cost savings.
The report recognises that the FM industry in Nigeria is largely untapped and has huge potential to grow. The study indicates that future growth is definite -72 per cent of respondents expect to increase their workforce over the next 12 months as a result of aggressive marketing efforts and other expansion plans.
One of the biggest challenges facing the FM industry in Nigeria is the current economic slowdown, which has affected several industries and the country's overall economy. Government policies have also had an impact on inflation, high lending rates and infrastructure problems, which in turn have threatened to restrict industry growth.
To combat the difficulties, more than 80 per cent say they are using technology to grow their industry, including software to help with Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), enterprise resource management tools, customer service and project management.
The report also shows that 89 per cent of respondents say they would be increasing their presence online; 75 per cent said they plan to invest in machinery - with 59 per cent stating they would be increasing their FM spend over the next 12 months and 22 per cent saying their spend would remain unchanged. The expected industry outcome also looked positive, with 85 per cent saying that they expected their capital investment to increase in the next 12 months and 86 per cent expecting turnover to increase in the next 12 months.
A reassuring 62 per cent say they do not see any potential threat to jobs over the next 12 months in comparison with the previous 12 months, while 77 per cent are hopeful of getting a pay rise. The support for training and development was also high, with 87 per cent confirming the importance of training to further their careers.
Wale Odufalu, chair of the BIFM Nigeria Committee, said: "The result of the BCM Nigeria report clearly shows the resilience of the FM industry in the face of current economic uncertainties. The BIFM Nigeria committee is excited about this new report, which aligns with our commitment to promote knowledge sharing in the FM industry."
Odufalu added: "We are also optimistic that this report will further echo the relevance and potential of the FM industry to both the service and real estate sectors. With the anticipated investment in training and technology by operators, the sector could play a major role as the country navigates itself out of the current recession."
Peter Brogan, Research and Information Manager at BIFM, said: "As a growing FM market, it is encouraging to see optimism and determination among FMs in making key industry improvements. Despite the difficulties and challenges, Nigeria has all of the requirements in place to succeed and a lot of potential for growth."
Daily business newspaper BusinessDay also helped to compile the report.
The full report is available to download here.