Book Titles: The Principles and Practice of Facilities Management in Nigeria (pages:294); Health Facilities Management in Africa (pages: 311) and Sports Facilities Management in Africa (pages: 349)

Author: Samson Ameh Opaluwah, PhD

Publishers: Thee Publishers Ltd

Year of Publication: 2023

Reviewer: Theophilus Abbah, PhD

Introduction:

The three books on facilities management, a field that has evolved from being a mere culture to a profession, testify to the enthusiasm, or better put, the restlessness that has characterized the life and lifestyle of Samson Ameh Opaluwah. Perhaps, it is not shocking for a man who trained in Engineering as a builder to discuss the principles, practice and modern approaches to building construction. But it would jolt one’s imagination when an engineer crosses the depth and territories of Physics, Technical Drawing, Geography, Mathematics, to pitch his tent in the space of writing, and doing it in a style and consistency that is prolific; not just prolific but also versatile; not just versatility but with enthusiasm; not just enthusiasm but spirituality; not just spirituality, but also love for mankind and to improve the human condition.

These books on facilities management would not be the first set from Opaluwah; he has written several pamphlets on Christian life, some devotional, some dealing with family life, and the imperative of prayer for meaningful living. Whether in fiction and non-fiction writing, it has been proven that authors deliver their messages better and contribute to positive changes in the society when they are autobiographical in their writings. I have used the word ‘autobiographical’ to mean when an author writes from the advantages that come with his personal experience. Opaluwah did not write the three books from just received knowledge on facilities management in the university. The contents of the three books are a reflection on his experiences at the Benue Cement Company Limited, now Dangote Cement Limited, the National Hospital in Abuja, and as the Deputy Director in charge of stadia and facilities development in the Federal Ministry of Sports and Social Development for five years. It is apparent from the contents of the books that the management of the facilities of these high-profile organizations in Nigeria left an indelible impression on his mind and life, a burden to ensure that principles and procedures are put in place in the management of facilities, else the investments could go down the drain if the challenges are tackled by rule of thumb.

The Books:

The first of the triology, The Principles and Practice of Facilities Management in Nigeria was first published in 2006, but this second edition is an improvement on the earlier edition, as it has been updated to reflect the better opportunities that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digitization have provided for automation in facilities management.  The opening chapter laid the theoretical framework for facilities management, by exploring the various definitions by scholars and institutions that attempt to identify the relevance of the organizations and the society at large.

There are many thinkers that are featured in the chapter, but the one that has a more comprehensive definition is the South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA, 2012). The body defines facilities management as, “a process that enables sustainable enterprise in relation to the whole life management of workplaces, in order to achieve productivity and support business effectively. It is described as a practice that ensures effective operational management of buildings, in both public and private organizations, comprising  broad range of activities, from strategic operational planning to daily physical maintenance, cleaning and the management of environmental performance issues.”

The above definition, broad and all-encompassing, captures the ramifications of facilities management contained in the book. The author elevates the practice of facilities management from just one of the tasks allocated to a staff in the Human Resources Department of an organization. Like purchasing new electricity bulbs when one blows off; or finding labourer to weed overgrown grasses, or repairing fallen ceiling boards, or just fetching water from the next premises because the water pipe is broken. Facilities management, as advocated in the book, must be elevated and escalated to the top management where the policy about it is put in place and strategies for implementing such policies are clearly articulated.

The author advocates that facilities management cannot be left to chance; there must be daily report, not just annual report, about the state and status of facilities in organizations. There must be budgetary allocations to the management of facilities, control systems, safety measures, and monitoring and evaluation. It is only through such measures that embarrassing collapse, withering, failure of facilities to function due to wear and tear, accidents that could affect human life, and the like, could be prevented. In the first four chapters of the book, the author explicates the theories and principles that underpin facilities management, the evolution of the field, from the global to the Nigerian experience, and how important it has become for current economic and environmental ecosystem.

In the eight chapters that follow, readers are exposed to how to practice facilities management, beginning with the roles of a facility manager, policy formulation, the implementation of policies, the methods to be adopted for effective management of facilities, and the essential monitoring and evaluation documents, to ensure every aspect of the job is under control. From these chapters, it is clear that a typical facility manager must familiarize himself or herself with the purpose of each section of his organization, as that is the only way the person would appreciate the importance of the facilities put in place and why they need to be properly monitored and put in order without fail.

The second book, Health Facilities Management in Africa, contains knowledge that is unique to the health sector. Though, in the preliminary pages, the author makes recourse to conceptual issues about facilities management, he goes into the nitty-gritty of how health facilities could be properly managed. The lines, paragraphs, and chapters of the book contain an eye-opener on the reasons why many health facilities are in disrepair in most parts of the country. He says, “No matter how simple or how complex a health facility may be, without a defined order of maintenance management, the health facility shall sooner or later not only become non-functional but may in addition constitute a hazard for its users. It is therefore imperative that a form of agreement as to how to operate and maintain each health facility, no matter how simple or complex be determined early in the life of the facility.”

In this book, Opaluwah advocates the need for the management of health organizations to deliberately incorporate the management of facilities from the planning stage of the organization. There must be the facility management policy, plan for its funding, regular and annual report about their management. Two sections, Chapters 11 and 12 are devoted to the role of a health facility manager in a healthcare facility and the practice of healthcare facility management. The cornerstone of facilities management is intentional control, preventive measures, and prompt repairs when a facility is in disrepair.

The third book, Sports Facilities Management in Africa, is the most voluminous of the three books. Perhaps, the author is more passionate about sports. In this book the he is specific in prescribing how to manage facilities in sports. A chapter each is devoted to the management of sports fields, sports building, track and field events, financing sports facilities, how to manage temporary buildings in sports facilities, optimizing the use of open space, technical maintenance and specification of a typical stadium complex, and planned maintenance of stadia. Each of these topics is treated in great details.

It is clear that this third book was written out of passion for sports, commitment to the sector, and as an attempt to contribute to the reversal of the poor state of the country’s stadia. The elaborate pages allocated to issues related to the country’s Procurement Act is very necessary, as one of the reasons for the  poor state of facilities is the inability of organizations to meet the requirements of the law when they make request for the procurement of equipment for the maintenance of facilities. Everyone who has the challenge of maintaining facilities must familiarize himself or herself with the Law, to ensure their requests are not turned down by the regulatory and anti-corruption agencies.

The author’s style in writing this book is not obscure, therefore, lending its contents to instant understanding. Like one who is breaking a new ground, Opaluwah has used the techniques applied by authors of ‘how to’ books, providing specific guidelines on how to make policies, create budgets, monitor the state of facilities daily, weekly and monthly. He provides copious templates of forms that should be designed and administered regularly to ensure that facilities are genuinely maintained. There are many photographs in the books, especially the ones of sports facilities management.

Who needs the books?

It is remarkable that the books are presented on the 70^th birthday of the author. They are unique gifts to the people of Nigeria, where maintenance culture is still not entrenched. There are not many books on facilities management in the country; already the first of the three books is being used as textbooks in some universities and polytechnics where facilities management has been introduced as a course. However, the books are useful, not only to students, but to Nigerians who are in charge of facility management in organizations. The principles and practice explicated in the books are applicable in any organization. For Nigerians in the health and sports sectors, the books are valuable and profitable. With the cooperation of the top management, organizations can adapt the guidelines and documents proposed in the books for their organizations’ benefit.

Anyone who reads any of the books, whether he or she is a facility manager or not, will not remain the same. They have the effect of awakening the consciousness of facilities management in readers, and more especially, motivate them to become deliberate or intentional about the management of the facilities in their homes and offices. People build houses or acquire equipment or properties without designing a maintenance policy for them. In a space of four to five years, due to negligence and failure to renew them, those facilities would begin to give way to disrepair. This is the simple reason for the unkempt homes and withering facilities in our cities.

Opaluwah’s credentials show why he qualifies to write these books. A First Class Graduate in Building from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, he has proven himself to be dedicated to the field. He is the fourth chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and the first president of the Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria, an organization set up to train artisanal workers in the building profession. These books are part of his contributions to the development of the sector. No one who reads either or all of them will be disappointed. 

By:Countdown