Registration for 4th edition of Tekedia Mini-MBA (Feb 8 – May 3, 2021) continues. Tekedia Mini-MBA is an innovation management 12-week program, optimized for business execution & growth, with digital operational overlay. It runs 100% online. Register here
Before 2020, many industry reports indicated that the Nigerian facilities management industry is growing at varying compound annual growth rate. Reports have also indicated that the industry cannot be immune from the impacts of global and national macroeconomic policies that would affect industries in 2021. As the year 2020 going to an end, our analyst examines the critical issues and needs that shape the industry in 2021.
One of the significant issues that players and professionals would not forget in 2020 is the emergence of Covid-19, which ravaged the world. The disease came at a time that captains of the industry and professionals are seeing some benefits of applying emergent strategies towards sustainable opportunities capturing and unlock the growth. In 2020, we have seen how the disease forced companies to redesign their processes and strategies. When the disease was hitting every sector and industry harder, our analyst noted that the players and professionals in the industry needed to make a number of critical shifts.
Intensify Social Distancing at Work and Public Places
Like what happened at the critical stage of the virus spread in 2020, people at the workplace and public places would be forced to observe social distancing in the first quarter of 2021. This will largely be connected with the new variant of the disease recently found in Osun State and other places. This is a big issue for facility managers who will manage soft and hard facilities including the critical ones, which cannot be left for hours without preventive maintenance strategies. Nigeria, like other countries where the disease is having impacting lives, has registered its interest in taking delivery of vaccines in early 2021. In this context, social distancing will be one of the significant measures. With this, social distancing is expected to be an issue for players, especially those that provide healthcare facilities management solutions. Both the players and professionals are expected to consider some strategies and protect people from contracting the disease.
Smart Processes, Execution and Monitoring
Significantly, Covid-19 changed the system thinking, process and execution approaches of many companies in 2020. As the second wave started in early December 2020, we expect more use of Internet of Things and remote control for project initiation and execution. We expect companies that have the capabilities and the needed resources to use technology driven applications for asset tagging, lighting. HVAC repair and maintenance, security, inventory management and equipment monitoring. We expect more operational disruption because the spread of the disease would force the government to make some critical decisions. In this regard, companies need to create superior processes towards the reduction of possible effects of the decisions.
More Innovative Solutions
In 2019 and 2020, Alpha Mead, Global Property and Facility Management International and some other players developed innovative solutions. These solutions have added value to the industry before the disease emerged. In 2021, these companies and emerging ones would develop new solutions and initiate projects with the intent of justifying their purpose of existence and increasing Nigeria’s recognition globally. Eliezer Workplace Management Limited, Green Facilities Limited, Global Property & Facilities International Limited, GreenKey Facility Management Services Limited and Principal Facilities that won various awards in 2020 are expected to justify the recognition bestowed on them by Business Day newspaper.
Covid-19 cases in Nigeria are surging, and that is a very big problem. Looking at the state of the economy at the moment, another lockdown would be extremely challenging for the nation. Yet, you have human lives at risk. Personally, I will not vote for another shutdown (do not attack me for writing that, see this as a debate); the cascading impacts on a shutdown will trigger an avalanche of more unemployment, extended recession and higher level of insecurity.
My proposal would be the following:
Sure, we can “lockdown” some sectors like sports, nightclubs and some activities which bring many people together at scale in restricted spaces. But apart from those, Nigeria needs to do all to avoid another shutdown.
In this Tekedia Live, Victoria Madedor, of Bank of Industry ITC, discusses fundraising via the paths of grants, development finance institutions (DFIs), and governments. The topic is Fundraising via Grants, DFIs, and Governments.
As we welcome Tekedia Mini-MBA new class, in Feb 2021, we are creating a more streamlined system which will help members discover conversational contents in close to 200 videos in our archives.
Those videos cover any topic in modern commerce and industry, from industry veterans, practicing in five continents. We will be sharing some of these videos during the holidays in case you have free time to listen.
But the full archives will be here – https://school.tekedia.com/ . These are not our courses but webinars during live sessions in our programs.
Updated: video moved to archive in school.tekedia.com. Go there and watch.
Ismail Tiamiyu is a new author in the block. He recently published a book on one of the less focused areas in human resource management- the Moral Licensing Syndrome. He shares his excitement on the new book, the launch details and his future intention to contribute more to the development of quality human resource management with Rasheed Adebiyi. Here are the excerpts of the interview.
Tekedia: Could you please tell me about yourself?
Ismail Tiamiyu: I am Ismail Ayotunde Tiamiyu. I am a researcher and writer; I work as research and development officer at FarmKonnect Nigeria, one of the leading Agritech companies in Nigeria. My experience as a researcher at FarmKonnect has been quite thrilling — not only have I been exposed to the socio-political realities in the corporate setting, but I have also been afforded the opportunity to identify and solve problems, especially process related and management related problems in organizations. Therefore, my book was inspired mainly by the need to solve Human Resource Management related problems in the work economy. More so, having my first degree in sociology from the University of Ibadan has inculcated in me a motivation to always seek to understand human behaviours and appraise issues through sociological imagination. I have been taught by the best minds in the country, and I am proud of my Alma mata.
Tekedia: You recently wrote a book to be launched in the new year, what motivated you to write the book?
Ismail Tiamiyu: Well, like I have said earlier, the book is my own way of contributing to knowledge and resolving problems usually generated by Moral Licensing Syndrome in the workplace. More so, I aspire to direct the attention of administrators, employers and managers toward some organisational practises that are often taken for granted but are actually integral to promoting growth-driven processes and resolving Moral Licensing Syndrome in organizations.
Tekedia: What are the major takeaways and for whom are the book are meant?
Ismail Tiamiyu: Major takeaways from the book include how employers and managers can best deal with the issues generated by Moral Licensing in the organisation, and secondly, how employees or individuals can leverage their tendency for licensing to attain optimum efficiency rather than create deficiency in their respective vocations.
Tekedia: Tell us more about the launching?
Ismail Tiamiyu: The book will be launched on the 16th of January 2021. Launching is going to be virtual, utilizing both Zoom and Facebook. The event will be chaired by Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe of the Tekedia Institute. Professor has contributed immensely to human capital development and the success of many businesses in the country through his pedagogical and entrepreneurial prowess. My experience under his tutelage is one of the factors that actually inspired the production of the book. The Chief Launcher for the day is Mr Azeez Oluwole, Founder and CEO, FarmKonnect Nigeria. My Boss and mentor, Mr Oluwole is another significant influence on the production of the book. And Lara Yeku, Head of HR, Flour Mills Nigeria will give a review of the book.
Tekedia: What is next after this book? Should the world expect another gift from your pen?
Ismail Tiamiyu: I hope to produce a second edition of the book, working in conjunction with interested scholars with more experience in the subject matter. I am very optimistic that 2021 is going to be a massive year, and I am prepared to give the best to my readers and also expand the pool of my audience.