Facilities Management in Public Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Facilities management is an integral part of the overall management of tertiary institutions. The actualization of the increasingly broadening goals and objectives of education demands the provision, optimal utilization and effective management of facilities. Advancement in science and technology, coupled with quantum leap in school enrolment, rising number of academic programmes and limited resources, necessitate the need for collaborative efforts that will bring in new ideas and perspectives to support modern methods of facilities management in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning in higher institutions. This research aims to contribute to the discuss that, facility management (or FM) as a sustainable tool, could enhance performance within the perspective of public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Literature reviewed revealed the nature of FM practices in public institutions of learning. The factors impacting FM practices were examined. Data was collected using structured questionnaire administered on managerial and technical officers responsible for FM functions in Nigerian public institutions. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used to analyze the data collected. The research established the existence of a direct relationship between the quality of educational facilities and the quality of the products churned out of tertiary institutions. The research found that, despite the significant benefits of FM to the learning process, FM practice in public institutions remains bleak; preferring the reactive approach instead of the more result-oriented, proactive/preventive approach. The approach to managing public facilities has remained passive leading to obsolescence and decay of critical facilities. The key challenges to FM practice in Nigeria include low level of technology, poor policy implementation and poor funding. The study recommends the outsourcing of the technical expertise needed to salvage the deteriorating conditions of Nigerian public educational facilities. The reactive/passive FM practice in tertiary institutions should pave way to a more result-oriented approach that helps administrators and policymakers ascertain the condition of facilities and plan timely intervention.