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The Greater Accra Chapter of International Facility Management Association (IFMA) aimed at maintaining effective functionality of built environment in organizations was launched on Saturday in Accra to be the third in Africa.
Mr Collins Osayamwen, President of Abuja Chapter of IFMA, who performed the launch said IFMA is a member-centric association that existed to guide and develop facility management professionals by providing exceptional services, products, resources and opportunities.
It was on the theme: “Facility Manager’s Role in Transforming Business and Economics.”
He said the vision of the Association was to serve as the resource and representative for facility management with the task of certifying facility managers, conducting research, providing learning and networking opportunities and recognizing facility management degree and certificate programs.
Mr Osayamwen noted that the Chapter membership provided in-person learning and networking opportunities, education, networking; facility tours and social events, which strengthened work skills and increase value of businesses.
Engr. MKO Balogun, Chief Executive Officer of Domme Facility Management, said IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers.
Engr. Balogun said the Association had supported more than 19,500 members in 78 countries. The Association’s members, represented in 125 chapters and 15 councils worldwide, had been able to manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than 0 billion in products and services.
He said every business was established with value in mind, therefore, companies used resources to derive and deliver value, which comprised of asset such as equipment, machineries and buildings.
Engr. Balogun noted that facility management was seen as back office function responsible for the management of 60 per cent total asset of businesses and when executed would positively affect the bottom-line of business.
He said in a changing world, where there was reduction in available funds for businesses and governments to spend, facility managers were critical due to the impact their activities had on the overall health of the building, infrastructure and health of the people.
Emgr. Balogun said asset maintenance constituted the biggest impact in customer touch point in any business and that functional office environment could have positive impact on productivity.
He enumerated challenges facing the Association to include lack of industry data and information, inadequate skilled manpower and lack of understanding of the values by governments, business owners and financial institutions.
Mr Sampson Opare-Agyemang of the Greater Accra Chapter of IFMA said facility management in Ghana would help members to be abreast with new technology and share ideas in contributing to national development.
He said the Greater Accra Chapter was the third in Africa besides Lagos and Abuja, adding every organization required facilities to operate effectively.
Mr Opare-Agyemang noted that the Greater Accra Chapter would raise the profile of facility management in the country and position itself as a think tank for government and private sectors by coming up with home grown solutions to challenges in management facilities.
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