In a bid to make service providers to offer quality services to Nigerians, a concerned group has embarked on a nationwide campaign to educate the populace on the need for sustainable management of facilities.
The group, known as the Technical Committee on Facility Management in Nigeria, flagged off its campaign with an advocacy visit to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
The body, affiliated to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) with registration, ISO/TC 267, is campaigning to make the Federal Government to adopt international standards on management of facilities and public infrastructure.
The Chairman of the body, Mr Collins Osayamwen, said that Nigerians needed to be sensitized on facility management to empower them with knowledge to demand quality service delivery from service providers.
“We now have a standard service delivery outline approved by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and the standards have been adopted and domesticated in Nigeria by SON.
“There is now need to create awareness because the way things are currently, even professionals on facility management are not aware of the standards set by ISO.
“We call on the Federal Government to ensure the implementation of international standards as recommended by ISO on its infrastructure and services across Nigeria.
“Standard is the only way that quality can be guaranteed. If service companies are operating without standards, they are bound to cut corners and this will negatively affect facilities and services.”
Osayamwen noted that where global standards are practiced and promoted by government, people would adopt the standards in their organisations and that those receiving the services would begin to demand for quality standards.
He argued that Nigerians could easily identify fake products but that they would hardly be able to identify fake service delivery.
“That is why, we need people to know that international standards on facility management has been domesticated in Nigeria. ISO 1401 Management System is here with us. We need to embrace it.”
The chairman stressed that when people were ignorant of standards, they would not be able to demand standards from facility management companies.
He said that the group had lined up programmes to educate Nigerians, professionals and facility management companies on the need to abide by international standards.
Other members of the body, including Mrs Abigail Olagbeye and Mr Okey Madubuko accompanied Osayamwen on the advocacy visit.
Receiving the visitors, the Editor-in-Chief of NAN, Mr Silas Nwoha, told the committee that NAN as a national purveyor of news and information had a duty to promote programmes and policies to boost nation building.
“We showcase activities of government, corporate bodies and individuals to the world on various channels, including our PR Wire, NAN TV, YouTube Channel, photo service and many more.
“News of whatever happens in any part of Nigeria, Africa and the world is generally brought to Nigerians by NAN correspondents and editors around the world.
“We don’t report fake news. We don’t believe in sensitisationalism. We do unique and excellent journalism and any news we put out is the truth and nothing but the truth.
“I can assure you that our partnership with you will effectively maximise the attainment of your objectives,” said Nwoha. (NAN)