Following growing urbanisation and increasing investment by the government to develop public infrastructure, three major real estate firms have formed an alliance to support and grow facility management services, especially commercial and industrial properties in the country.

The firms – Ubosi Eleh and Company, Estate Links Limited and Eximia Realties Company Limited have formed Edge Facility Management Limited (Edge FM). The leadership of Edge FM, namely Chudi Ubosi of Ubosi Eleh and Company; Gbenga Olaniyan of Estate Links, and Hakeem Oguniran of Eximia Realties made up of real estate professionals with a combined experience of over 100 years in the real estate sector.

The Nigeria facility management services market was valued at $8,446.0 million in 2019, and is projected to reach $12,662.1 million by 2027, registering a Compound Yearly Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.4 per cent from 2020 to 2027. Facility management services provide maintenance support and increase the value of a building or infrastructure. Various types of facility management services include cleaning, landscaping, security, plumbing, and electrical services.

Speaking at the unveiling of the company in Lagos, Olaniyan said: “We are out to give strategic oversight and improve corporate governance in the facilities management industry. We have identified gaps in the market that we think we can fill with Edge FM. We are here to do things differently from the way they are done currently.”

He disclosed further that it is the vision of the company to be the preferred facility management company that guarantees value accretion, minimises environmental impact and achieves great returns on investment for clients across the continent.

He added that the company is out to improve the quality of life of their people, including staff, clients, and property users; and to contribute to the advancement of the communities in which they operate.

The First Vice President, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Victor Alonge, said with the existing dead capital in the country, the firm has a job to turn around the fortunes of the real estate sector. He added that the professional competence and experience of the three directors, who have done well in their respective practices, are not in doubt to pioneer the facility management in the country.

Alonge disclosed that in the next couple of months, the industry would be witnessing another major development that will help not just the industry but also the economy at large.

The Managing Director, FBNQuest Trustees Limited, Adekunle Awojobi, offered guidance on estate planning as an important requirement for successful wealth transfer.

Speaking on ‘Estate Planning: Leaving a Generational Legacy,’ he said: “There is a decent appreciation for the importance of investing to secure one’s financial future. However, the average individual has paid little attention to the structures that are needed for the efficient management of the assets they own, and the seamless transfer of their wealth.”

“We have continued to drive this message that estate planning must be an integral part of everyone’s plan – even if it’s one’s first property or major asset.”

He explained that ‘next of kin’ which is one of the many myths inherent in estate planning, does not give any right or entitlement to the so-called person, adding that the next of kin is just the person who should be contacted when there is a need to ask questions.

Awojobi explained also that ‘the will’ which many people leave behind when they die is a testamentary document expressing a person’s wishes as to how his/her properties should be distributed after his/her death.

According to him, Wills minimise crisis after the death of the head of a family or a property owner. “If you don’t manage your assets very well, you will hand over a serious problem to the next generation,” he said.

Edge FM Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Peju Fatuyi, said the company is one of the three dominant facility management companies providing integrated solutions that ensure that assets in management provide value, minimise environmental impact and achieve a good return on investment for clients across the continent.

“We understand that every facility is unique and requires professional services for its maintenance, and operations and to ensure reliability – we provide excellent services that improve and transform the asset,” she said.

Fatuyi, an architect and certified energy manager, said their goal is to drive exceptional results through enterprising and innovative thinking, taking prompt action to create and seize opportunities for new and better solutions tailored to the needs of clients.