15th May, 2019
Launch of Lagos State is Maintenance Cultured Initiative to commemorate FM Day on Tuesday in Lagos.
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said that it would establish call centres for better management and maintenance of its assets, infrastructure and facilities across the state.
The government also said that the state would maximize the use of trained artisans that graduated from its various skills acquisition centers across the state to close the unemployment gap.
The General Manager, Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA), Mr Oladeji Williams, said this during the commemoration of 2019 World International Facility Management (FM) Day and launch of Lagos State is Maintenance Cultured Initiative.
He said that the Maintenance Cultured Initiative policy was the brain child of the Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode administration to use maintenance culture to create jobs and upgrade as well as utilize skills of its trained artisans.
“The vision is to establish a culture of maintenance and to champion the benefits of good maintenance practices across Lagos,” he said.
Williams said that the state government has the most holistic and aggressive maintenance implementation agenda in Nigeria and was the first with an agency dedicated to Infrastructure Management and Maintenance.
He explained that LASIAMA was the implementation arm of the Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency under the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure charged with the management and maintenance of the state’s assets.
The GM listed Lagos assets to include over 3,000 buildings, 33,000 street lights, over 150 traffic lights, over 12,000 street directional signs, among others, which must be maintained.
“To manage resolution of public infrastructure maintenance issues, we are in the process of creating an infrastructure maintenance call centre – a single point of contact and real-time platform for reporting issues relating to public infrastructure for resolution by the appropriate government agency.
“The call centre will provide a one-stop-shop that will enable real-time maintenance implementation by integrating maintenance across government.
“The Call Centre personnel will be trained to accurately capture and classify issues accordingly such as; Issues relating to Public Infrastructure (Roads, Bridges, Utilities, Streetlights, Street Furniture – Monuments, Fountains etc.) Issues reported by custodians, occupants and users of public facilities (libraries, schools, courthouses and hospitals).
“These issues will be tracked and automatically linked to relevant government Agencies such as; LASIAMA, Public Works Corporation, Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB) and Lagos State Parks & Gardens Agency (LASPARK) for issue resolution.
“They say Nigerians lack maintenance culture, through our initiatives that statement will become a thing of the past. A major component of the Maintenance Cultured Initiative is the creation of well-equipped Maintenance Implementation Teams otherwise known as LASIAMA-MITs, that can attend timely and effectively to maintenance issues, around the clock, state-wide,” he said.
He added that LASIAMA-MITs will be spread across the five divisions of the state for quick response to maintenance using modern power tools and equipment for minor repairs and maintenance activities – civil, structural/mechanical, electrical, landscaping, wastewater management etc.
He reinterated the State government’s commitment to improve quality in the delivery, maintenance and asset performance, raising standards within the built and facility management industry, and to upskill and strengthen artisans.
Earlier while delivering a lecture, Dr Richard Somiari, Centre Director/Managing Consultant, Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, said that facility management was critical to organizations’ functions and productivity.
Somiari said that a lot of people erroneously thought that FM involved only cleaning a building but that it was much more than that and required skill and certification.
He lamented that most Nigerians out of ignorance do not consult facility managers who should be part of the team to design infrastructure projects.
Listing the advantages of FM, he noted that “it will maximize investments”.
Other speakers emphasized the need to spread awareness for Nigeria and Nigerians to take advantage of the numerous FM benefits.
Lawmaker representing Epe Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Abiodun Tobun, while presenting an award to Mr Durotiwon Kayode, stressed the need to increase budgetary allocation for FM in the state.
Kayode of Kandaylin Nigeria Ltd received the award of the best Facility Manager of the year 2018 from LASIAMA.
The programme was organised by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with the Nigerian Chapter of the International Facility Management Association to mark the FM Day.