ANALYSIS OF MAINTENANCE CULTURE EMPLOYED IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Over the years, Nigeria has had a number of laudable projects that makes one proud of being a Nigerian. These projects range from the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan (now called the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium) to the National Stadium Lagos, Universities, hospitals, schools and the refineries which got oil displacing agriculture as the mainstay of the economy to mention a few. But having been built and made to serve the immediate purpose they were meant to serve, they ended up in most cases forgotten, abandoned and at its best given very little attention, leading to its poor maintenance and management. The million dollar question to draw from the aforesaid is if these projects were actually made available in the short term or long term. It is expected that the latter would be the answer. Nevertheless over the years, most laudable projects in Nigeria fault this notion. Nigeria is not meant to be where she currently is for she is a blessed nation, one that is palpably so richly endowed with the best of resources; “human and material” to spur her towards having the best facilities when she deems it necessary and most appropriate. Nigeria as against the so called world economies, developed nations, world powers or whatever phrase used to describe the most powerful States of the world is immensely blessed with natural resources as
earlier mentioned, that only if Nigeria was properly managed by the best hands in leadership, she would have easily stimulated herself towards being not just a real giant of Africa (as against what is perceive to be the current self acclaimed status) but among the world powers in all ramifications most importantly, socioeconomically.
Nigeria has had over the years on its once upon a time very laudable projects that are right now in the most deplorable state ever imagined which are definitely threats to the social economic and infrastructural advancement of Nigeria. This is with respect to the issue of maintenance of public facilities and capital projects that are worthy of proudly making one a Nigerian, though for a short while, no thanks to the “extinction” of the beauty that once upon a time greeted such projects. In line with the national development goals for improving the quality of services in the public sectors to become “The Developed Countries by the year 2020”
have a first class infrastructures on the agenda for Nigeria. Apart from this, many facilities such as buildings and public infrastructures are built to fulfill administrative and social needs as well as economic responsibilities to the general public. The government assets and facilities should be managed properly with maintenance work to ensure the functioning assets, minimum cost of repairing and providing a safe environment for the user. Maintenance culture is defined the combination of technical and administrative actions to be taken to preserve or protect a structure, system or equipment to function properly (British Standards Institute, 1974). It as a work process or work activity programmed by an individual or group to be undertaken to protect, preserve and maintain the function of a facility
