SON Inaugurates Committee on Facility Mgt Standards

Chris Uba

As part of Nigeria’s drive to optimise benefits from international standards development on facilities management, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has inaugurated a committee through a virtual meeting conducted recently.

The Committee is to mirror the activities of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Technical Committee TC 267 on Facility Management by harnessing views of experts in Nigeria as contribution to the development of the international standards for eventual domestication in Nigeria through adoption.

Inaugurating the Committee, SON Director General, Osita Aboloma, stated that the process was to harness industry knowledge in management of facilities in Nigeria in contributing to international standards development from which the nation’s economy stands to benefit eventually.

“The work of preparing International Standards is carried out through ISO technical committees, with qualified interested parties who are vastly knowledgeable in that field, to foster a level playing field for industry practitioners aimed at removing barriers to global trade,” Aboloma said.

Represented by the Director of Management Systems Certification Services, Felix Nyado, the SON Chief Executive stated that nomination to serve in the committee was guided by the strategic collaboration/partnership that SON has with the various organisations and institutions represented by the members.

He enjoined them to bring their wealth of knowledge and experience to bear in making valuable contributions that would make the standards on facility management affect the lives of citizens positively and promote trade particularly within the African continent as well as beyond”

Aboloma thanked members of the National Mirror/Technical Committee, “for their attendance and commitment, which according to him, provides a rich mix of knowledge, experience and expertise that are required in reaching consensus in the elaboration of standards that are market driven and support sustainable economic development”.

Members of the inaugurated NMC/TC include: Collins Osayamwen, Managing Partner Sheltercare FM Consult, Abuja who emerged as the Chairman and Aliyu Suleiman Shika, of Department of Building Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria who emerged as Vice Chairman.

Others include M. K. O Balogun, Managing Director Global PFI, Olumide Aina, CEO, Green Facilities Limited, Ayuba Anza Usman, of FCTA, Olukemi Modupe Odusanya, (Managing Director , Hutchinson Property Care), Stan Mitchell, Chairman & CEO, Key Facilities Limited, UK, Alex Aleakwe Bini of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abimbola Funsho of Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and Ronke Odunayo of Oracle, Lagos.

SON representatives at the meeting were: Ololade Ayoola – Group Head Service Standards; Theodora Okafor, Technical Secretary 1; Eugenia Iloanusi, Technical Secretary 2; Odunfa Akingbola and Frances Nwasomba of the Service Standards Group Secretariat.