The Association of Facilities Management Practitioners of Nigeria (AFMPN), in partnership with APIC Managers, has carried out a community service intervention at the Awoyaya Primary School and Ansarudeen Primary School complex on Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The exercise, held on June 26, benefited six schools sharing the compound, including Awoyaya Primary School, Federal Housing Primary School, Victoria Island Primary School, Ansarudeen Primary School and the Mini Resource Centre for Arts and Crafts, the only centre of its kind serving Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
Speaking at the event, AFMPN President, Dr. Olumide Aina, said the initiative formed part of the association’s commitment to improving learning environments through professional facility management.
“AFMPN is an association of professional Facility Managers committed to adding value to the built environment. Through our community service programme, we identify challenges within public facilities and work with government and relevant statutory bodies to develop sustainable solutions. A conducive school environment enhances teaching and learning, while poor facilities negatively affect both students and teachers,” he said.
The intervention, sponsored and executed by APIC Managers, included clearing overgrown vegetation, cleaning the entire school compound, washing the restrooms serving the six schools, and providing cleaning consumables and waste bins.
The technical team also carried out condition assessments on the plumbing, electrical and waste management systems. The inspection revealed that rainwater runoff was entering the septic tank and soakaway through structural cracks, making routine evacuation ineffective until the underlying defect is repaired.
AFMPN said the discovery would enable the association and its partners to engage relevant government agencies on a permanent solution rather than temporary fixes.
Addressing the students, Head of Administration at APIC Managers, Mr. Noah Attah, encouraged them to embrace the spirit of giving back to their communities. He described the project as one that was particularly important to the organisation and expressed the company’s commitment to supporting similar initiatives in the future.
As part of measures to sustain the gains of the intervention, prefects from the six schools will serve as Inspection Officers under a new “See It, Tell It” initiative. AFMPN will organise training for the prefects and head teachers at a later date to strengthen facility monitoring and reporting.
The association also disclosed that a comprehensive report of its findings would be submitted to the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to facilitate further engagement on the identified infrastructure challenges.
AFMPN expressed appreciation to SUBEB for providing the opportunity to carry out the community service project. The association also commended the General Manager of APIC Managers, Mrs. Mubo, RFM, FMP, as well as Mr. Noah Attah and the company’s team for their partnership, resources and successful execution of the exercise.
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