President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Babagana Muhammed

Engineers have urged colleagues, governments and individuals to imbibe a maintenance culture.

The Managing Director, Jecmeralds Engineering Limited, Chidiebele Uzoagba, who spoke on “Poor Maintenance Culture in Nigeria, Role of Facility Management” at a meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Victoria Island Branch, Lagos, said many infrastructural amenities in Nigeria such as schools, hospitals, government offices and monuments, are in bad shape due to negligence.

He lamented that Nigerians do not have a good maintenance policy plan, which he said has led to building and infrastructure failures of varying degree across the country.

Uzoagba identified lack of funds, indiscipline and ignorance, bad economy, corruption, absence of the owner, and remoteness of the building as the reasons for poor maintenance culture.

He also highlighted causes of maintenance problems as faulty design and construction, bad workmanship, and use of sub-standard materials.

“It’s inexplicably true that in Nigeria today, peoples’ commitment to maintenance is poor,” he said and emphasised the role of facility maintenance as a driver to encourage a good maintenance culture in the country.

Across the country, according to him, there are building facilities that are poorly maintained due to poor culture or bad attitudes.

He stressed that the formal education approach should be such that facility maintenance will be made part of the nation’s curriculum in the universities. He noted that currently, no university in Nigeria offers facility management as a first degree except at the master’s degree level.

In his remarks, NSE Victoria Island Branch Chairman, Emeka Ibeh, noted that the true life cycle of all infrastructure could only be obtained when maintenance is given the required priority.

He advised that facility management and value engineering should be part of all aspects of infrastructure projects.