A recent conference focused on growing facility management awareness and collaboration on the African continent has shined a spotlight on one of the industry’s top emerging markets.

At IFMA’s Global Africa in Lagos, Nigeria, 250 attendees met with top thought leaders to discuss public infrastructure, technology and overcoming obstacles to establish the FM industry as a professional discipline that can improve personal, regional and economic growth.

Building FM in Africa

“Facility management plays a critical role in bridging the gap between infrastructure limitations and operational excellence,” said Lara Paemen, IFMA EMEA managing director. “In many parts of Africa, FM is not yet fully recognized as a discipline, let alone a strategic discipline, but the need for it is immense. Africa represents both the future of facility management and the next frontier of sustainable development.”

Organizations must understand that FM is more than facility maintenance. Its expertise combines resilience, efficiency, safety and sustainability, which allows organizations to stand out both as a positive place to work and in its visibility in the global market.

“FM contributes directly to economic growth and to improving quality of life by ensuring that buildings, utilities and workplaces function reliably,” she said.

Positioning FM’s importance in Africa’s economic and geopolitical ecosystem is only rising.

Over the next three decades, 65 percent of Africa’s population will live in its cities. At the turn of this century, Lagos, Nigeria is projected to become the most populated city on the planet, with an estimated 100 million residents, said IFMA Global Chair Christa Dodoo, CFM, FMP, CIWFM, CMQ/OE.

As the African population migrates toward the cities, they will need places to live and work, which means they will need access to facilities for learning, playing and healing, said Dodoo.

“A skilled workforce must operate and maintain these facilities, holding them to the highest standards of efficiency, safety and functionality. This opens great potential for FM. It also makes FM a huge asset to support Africa’s economy and future,” she said.

Addressing infrastructure

One of the issues plaguing the African continent is unreliable utilities in many regions. At least once per day, tenants, occupants and visitors find themselves without electricity or internet connectivity in their buildings.

These issues have forced the current FM workforce to adapt. However, the onus to improve utility access and infrastructure lies on local and regional authorities.

“FM professionals in Africa are often called upon to be creative problem-solvers,” said Paemen. “However, governments must prioritize infrastructure investment. The private sector, and especially trained FMs, can accelerate progress by implementing energy management, maintenance planning and sustainable resource strategies that mitigate the impact of outages and inefficiencies.

Despite those challenges, African infrastructure is historically sustainable, said Dodoo.

“Nearly half of the planet’s total renewable energy potential exists [on the African continent]. “Merging our traditional resources and building practices with modern methods and technologies offers a solution for adaptability, resilience and sustainability,” she said. “Strategic cooling, insulation and ventilation methods are inherent in our traditional infrastructure and specific to the varying climate conditions on the continent. Sourcing local, natural materials reduces greenhouse gas emissions.”

“By applying these to techniques that have proven successful over centuries, we can devise a forward-facing path that stays true to our roots – a path that embraces history and innovation, preservation and viability, stability and growth,” Dodoo said.

Empowering a workforce to empower a continent

The FM industry across the continent is incredibly diverse: in some countries, the profession is still in its infancy, while in others, it is recognized by government authorities as a key contributor to national growth, infrastructure resilience and the wellbeing of citizens.

This diversity represents an incredible opportunity to nurture roots, and in some places, plant the seeds, to grow a thriving, educated workforce. By supporting local leaders, creating strong IFMA chapters, and facilitating partnerships, IFMA can strengthen the FM ecosystem from within.

“There is a strong appetite for training, certification and international collaboration and IFMA’s role is to help channel that momentum into sustainable, locally led development. IFMA focuses on Africa because the continent’s growth trajectory aligns perfectly with the facility management’s core purpose: enabling people, places and organizations to thrive,” Paemen said.

Those roots are taking hold – IFMA’s Nigeria Chapter is expanding career opportunities for both practitioners and students. The chapter is nearing its 30th anniversary and recently celebrated a 200 percent growth in membership.

For almost 15 years, IFMA’s Ghana Chapter has been a vital source of FM education, credentialing and meaningful engagement.

“Both chapters have made incredible strides in expanding awareness of IFMA and professionalizing FM on the continent,” Dodoo said.

In other places, planting those seeds is allowing the FM industry to bloom. IFMA’s newly formed Uganda and Rwanda chapters are positioned to become hubs of knowledge and professional development.

These chapters lead grassroots initiatives that connect FM education with local industry needs, ensuring long-term impact. IFMA is also partnering with universities, professional associations and employers to integrate FM into curricula and career pathways.

“By doing so, we are literally planting the seeds for a generation of professionals who can drive economic growth, social wellbeing and sustainability through their work in the built environment,” said Paemen.

By supporting local leaders, creating strong IFMA chapters, and facilitating partnerships, IFMA can strengthen the FM ecosystem from within.

In places where FM is in its infancy, IFMA can cement itself as a true elevator of economic progress, sustainability and quality of life across Africa.

“This is one of the most exciting aspects of IFMA’s work in Africa. We are not merely transferring knowledge, we are building a community from the ground up,” Paemen said.

Loading the toolbox

IFMA’s focus on capacity building, providing training, credentials, and knowledge-sharing enable professionals to implement FM best practices even in challenging environments.

“This is how FM becomes not a cost center, but a driver of stability and development,” said Paemen.

A major component in that knowledge transfer is IFMA credentials.

IFMA’s role is to equip students and professionals with global frameworks and local adaptability, the skills to apply international standards while finding pragmatic, locally relevant solutions.

“Through our training programs and credentials, we ensure FMs understand both the technical and strategic aspects of managing facilities with limited resources,” Paemen said.

This not to say that building FM in Africa is a complete ground-up endeavor, although some regions’ facilities have more innovation than others. While more advanced areas are ready for digital transformation, others are eager to learn how technology can help overcome resource limitations.

Regardless, of where a region or facility is on the FM spectrum, the message from Africa is clear – students and professionals are thirsty for knowledge and are ready to sow and reap the rewards of a budding industry.

“There is an eagerness to learn,” Paemen said. “Discussions reflect a real hunger for professionalization, but also a sense of pride: African FM professionals want to lead their own narrative and shape solutions for their unique context.”

Sharing a wealth of knowledge

Twenty-five students from across the African continent were invited to participate at IFMA Global Africa.

Dodoo implored the students to set a personal goal to connect with the professionals in attendance who can help them along their career path.

Doing so ensures the FM profession will grow and thrive in capable hands,” she said.

“[We must learn] what the next generation of FMs is interested in or concerned about. What [we] learn from them will be just as valuable as the advice they gain. [We must] be a steward and help build the legacy of FM in Africa through them.”

Growing a strong FM industry will give rise to Africa’s vitality and ongoing sustainability efforts, said Okoli Esomchi Stephen, a student at the University of Nigeria.

“FM sustainability creates the awareness and insights for the long-term use and management of facilities,” he said. Planning and managing a culture of sustainable facilities would further development across the continent.

Students participated in conversations ranging the breadth of the industry; while focusing on infrastructure improvements needed to grow and nurture sustainable environments.

“In Africa, where resources such as energy and water are often scarce and expensive, sustainable FM practices like energy efficiency, waste management and green building adoption directly improve organizational resilience and cost-effectiveness. For communities, FM sustainability translates into healthier environments, improved public infrastructure, and services that enhance quality of life,” said Michael Manote a student at Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies in Ghana.

“FM sustainability is vital because it ensures that facilities operate in ways that conserve resources, reduce costs, and support long-term community development,” he said.

Manote said FM’s current lack of visibility as profession is a roadblock for advancing the industry in Africa.

“This lack of recognition means that its importance to national development and organizational success is often overlooked. Furthermore, many African countries do not adequately integrate FM into their legal and institutional frameworks, leaving the industry without a strong foundation,” he said.

The same lack of visibility also inhibits the workforce.

“Until now, many African communities do not know there are trained professionals whose responsibility is to care for the building and its occupants,” said Momoh Omakafe, an FM student at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. “Africa is an emerging market for FM. The need will continue to rise as more people are becoming aware of FM’s role.”

Manote said many organizations do not fully understand the FM’s role and see it as a cost center rather than a value addition. This view undercuts the industry’s true potential across Africa.

“So many think the role is limited to maintenance. FMs in many organizations are underutilized. If the FM was better understood, [there is] so much to be gained,” he said.

Dodoo said the students’ involvement underscores IFMA’s role to drive engagement and improve the world through FM.

“IFMA provides FMs at every skill and career level with a forum for teaching and learning, for exploration and discovery,” she said.

This engagement was not lost on student attendees. Samuel Nyametiase, an FM student at Sunyani Technical University, said an optimized FM industry directly contributes to an elevated standard of living.

“Facility management influences quality of life by creating environments that are safe, healthy, conducive and comfortable. Effective FM services reduces risks, minimizes disruptions and promotes environmental stewardship,” he said.

Nyametiase said strengthening FM means furthering partnerships across the continent.

“We have a need for collaboration across countries in Africa to build a stronger FM community that shares resources, knowledge and best practices. Engaging with mentors, peers and industry leaders …. reinforced the importance of building strong professional networks in advancing both individual careers and the facility management industry in Africa.”

He emphasized the need for industry growth and awareness.

“FM in Africa is still evolving and growing at a faster rate but faces some challenges such as lack of professional training, and resource constraints. However, it has enormous potential to transform organizations and communities.”