6 MEA MARKETS / SUB-SAHARAN 2017 Best for High Quality Professional Business Services – Nigeria g L-R: Mr Damola Akindolire, Executive Director, Real Estate Development, Alpha Mead Group; Prof. Charles Inyangete, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC); Engr. Femi Akintunde, Group Managing Director, Alpha Mead; and Dr Chii Akporji, Executive Director, Policy and Strategy, NMRC; after the official signing of Memorandum of Understanding on Affordable Housing between Alpha Mead Development Company (AMDC) and NMRC in Abuja, Nigeria. “Recently, we designed a new application called “Eye-on-site” to improve our efficiency and significantly reduce downtime in every facility we manage. The new application which is exclusive to us in Nigeria’s FM market provides detailed information on the criticality of all our assets on site. “We also incorporated Archibus; an Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) platform designed to reduce the complexity associated with FM through native business intelligence into our systems. “All of these efforts are targeted at reducing the cost for our clients, improve safety at our sites, and increase productivity for our customers, without compromising quality. Looking to the future, all staff must be well equipped to provide the best possible service to all clients. For this to happen, Engr. Akintunde discusses the internal culture within the firm, which helps to ensure the team are all pulling in the same direction. “As a business that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment, we have built our culture around Service Orientation, Professionalism, Integrity, Customer Focus and Entrepreneurship. “The elements of this culture are very dear to us and we empower members of staff to demonstrate them by encouraging them to continuously improve on skill and attitudes that bring them to the fore. “This implies that for everyone (employee) that works through our door, professionalism is non- negotiable. Hence, regardless of the level of input expected from an employee in our process value-chain, we expect a detailed attention to every step in creating the delivering value to our clients. “We maintain a well-equipped ultra-modern training centre at our corporate headquarters in Lagos and also second our key staff to further specialized training programs overseas at our technical partner’s training facility in New Jersey, USA. We encourage all our staff to acquire the professional certification of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) or British Institute of Facility Management (BIFM).” Integral to the exciting work environment at the firm is the hiring criteria. Engr. Akintunde comments on the hiring structure at the firm, noting how important it is look for the best staff, those who want to learn and will thrive under the encouragement of the management. “What we look for in people is the best. What we look for in our suppliers is those with equal knack for quality; and who have designed clear systems to ensure they deliver. What we look for in customers and other stakeholders is a clear commitment and appreciation of value, the safety of the people and the environment. “To achieve this, we select our people based on very stringent technical and commercial evaluation procedures; and we are committed to supporting their continued growth and development.” Having just celebrated the firm’s 10th year anniversary, it is time to look ahead for the firm. The robust structure in place at the firm will sustain the firm’s various attempts to expand and help support the new businesses and staff. When we commenced operation in 2007, our focus was to provide Facility Management Services, but today, we have grown to become one of Africa’s Leading Real Estate solutions companies; providing services in Facilities Management, Real Estate Development, Training, Security Systems and Technologies, Healthcare Management Services and Asset Financing. “This growth and expansion of our business are indicative of what the market has in store for us. We see Africa opening up as the new global Real Estate frontier and we are rightly positioning in these markets to establish quality services. This for us is more than business growth, it is ensuring that international standards permeate in the African market to give global investors assurance of quality services. “To achieve these, we have created a robust structure that will sustain our various expansion efforts, support the new businesses to stabilize and advance in their various markets and leverage on the collective expertise available in the group to lower overheads and create greater efficiencies of operations.” Engr. Akintunde predicts what upcoming developments that are specific to the Sub-Sahara corporate market, as well as telling us how AMFacilities will adapt to these advances in the industry. “We see a host of investors tilting towards Corporate Real Estate investment in the Sub-Sahara Africa region, especially in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, where the market demography is compelling for investors. “Looking at African market generally, there are opportunities Contact: Odinaka Mbonu Contact Email:
[email protected] Address: 8b Oladipo Diya Cr, 2nd Avenue Estate, Lagos, Nigeria Phone: 00234 7013 001 067 Website: www.amfacilities.com in different sectors. For example, Nigeria has a deficit of 17 million housing and a huge infrastructure gap. Ghana has a growing middle class and rapid urbanization that is stimulating the retail real estate market and housing development; and the list of opportunities in these market goes on. “Given these opportunities and others that we see on the horizon, we have positioned beyond Facilities Management. We are positioning to deliver quality services in the entire Real Estate value chain and have set in motion the necessary systems and process to formulate an effective strategy that will enable us to deliver value for these opportunities.