By Elizabeth PUNSU
Facility managers across the country are calling on both government authorities and private sector leaders to prioritise the upkeep of infrastructure by allocating sufficient funds for maintenance activities.
The renewed appeal follows rising concerns over the deteriorating condition of public infrastructure nationwide — including schools, hospitals and other critical facilities.
In recent months, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akando, along with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, undertook inspections of major hospitals across the country.
Reports from key facilities such as the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Tamale Teaching Hospital were deemed unsatisfactory.
Notably, the Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr. Atik Adam, was immediately relieved of his duties due to the poor state of maintenance and critical medical equipment.
Speaking at a ceremony in Kumasi to mark World Facility Management (FM) Day, Dr. Oti Amankwah, a lecturer at the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), underscored the need for robust budgeting to support facility management.
“With adequate funding, facility managers can enhance the quality, functionality and longevity of buildings, ensuring they remain fit for purpose,” he said.
“Every facility manager knows the challenge of insufficient funding. You draft a budget, and half of it gets slashed. Then comes the hard task of setting priorities and making the most of limited resources. Maintenance is not a luxury — it is a necessity. Without proper funding, we’re simply patching holes and hoping for the best. That’s not sustainable.”
During the informal session of the event, members of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), Ghana Chapter, shared experiences from their respective workplaces.
They criticised the current approach to maintenance, which they described as largely reactive and underfunded, warning that it compromises the long-term usability and safety of facilities.
The association is advocating for policy reforms that would require both public and private institutions to dedicate a fixed percentage of their annual budgets to maintenance. In addition, IFMA members called for regular audits of maintenance-related expenditures to promote transparency and efficiency.
This year’s celebration was marked under two themes: ‘Empowering local facility managers to thrive amid climate and economic shifts’ and ‘Resilient facilities, resilient communities: The role of FM in national development’.
In his opening address, President of the IFMA – Ghana Chapter, Sampson Opare Agyemang, justified the adoption of the dual themes, noting they highlight the growing responsibility of facility managers to develop competence and assert a strategic role in national development — particularly in the context of climate change, economic challenges and urban expansion.
“Climate disruptions are more frequent. Budgets are tighter. Infrastructure is ageing. Demands on space, safety and sustainability are increasing. Yet, in the midst of all this, facility management remains the silent enabler of stability, continuity and progress,” he noted.
“We are no longer behind the scenes — we are at the core of every functioning building, institution and community. Here in Ghana, we are not just reacting to change; we are shaping it. We are leading it.”
