President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the maintenance of federal public buildings in the country was tied to Nigeria’s economy.
He said this at the signing ceremony of Executive Order 11 on Wednesday, which would ensure the maintenance of federal public buildings across the country.
The President said the order would reinforce the National Public Building Maintenance Policy, approved in 2019. He added that the adequate “Maintenance of Assets is more than a culture, it is an economy from which many can prosper”.
He said, “On the 4th day of January 2019, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing presented a Policy Memorandum to the Federal Executive Council seeking for the approval of a Draft National Public Building Maintenance Policy which was granted.”
“The memorandum highlighted Federal Public Institutions such as Federal Government Colleges, Federal Correctional Facilities, Federal Court Buildings and Federal secretariats where maintenance and facility management were immediately required and recommended that these should be extended to ALL buildings owned and or occupied by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.
“Some of the expected benefits of the implementation of the approved National Policy on Public Building Maintenance are job creation for skilled and unskilled labour and the expansion of opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises who produce and supply all of the tools and materials required to support maintenance.
“Since the approval of the Policy by the federal executive council, the federal government has consciously started the implementation of maintenance in strategic facilities like the federal secretariats in Abuja, federal secretariats in 24 states of the federation, where at least 40 people are now daily employed in each of those 24 Secretariats in post-rehabilitation maintenance and facility management.
“In order to ensure the fullest implementation and impact of the policy, it is my pleasure to sign this executive order that ties maintenance directly to our economy.”
Buhari expressed his hopes that the order would open opportunities for different sectors which would help to boost Nigeria’s economy.
“While it is true that our economy has been diversified and the non-oil sector is leading in terms of contribution to the Gross Domestic Product, the maintenance and facility management component of the services sector is an opportunity that is waiting to be maximised.
“It is my hope that this Order will open the door to this treasure of opportunities for young Technicians, for Artisans, for Vendors and Suppliers and for Small Businesses and Cottage Industries,” he said.
