Lagos State Government has taken a significant step with the hosting of International Facility Management Association (IFMA)’s Managing Director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Ms. Lara Paemen, during a high-level engagement session.
EpeInsights reports that the Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA) hosted Paemen in preparation for the 2025 International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Global Africa Conference.
The courtesy visit, held at LASIAMA’s conference facility in Alausa, Ikeja, brought together major players in Nigeria’s facility management ecosystem, including senior officials from the Lagos State Government and members of the IFMA Lagos Chapter.
Welcoming the delegation, LASIAMA General Manager, Ms. Adenike Adekanbi, expressed the agency’s enthusiasm at Lagos being selected as host city for the prestigious continental conference, scheduled to take place from August 19–20, 2025.
“Hosting the IFMA Global Africa Conference is a unique opportunity to showcase Lagos as a Centre of Excellence for facility and infrastructure management across Africa,” Adekanbi said. “It reflects our transformation from a single office—the Office of Facility Management and Maintenance (OFMM)—to a full-fledged agency driving innovation in asset management.”
She emphasized that LASIAMA’s evolution, including the development of a state-wide asset register initiated under former Governor Babatunde Fashola, aligns Lagos with international best practices and supports its fiscal credibility.
Adekanbi also noted the importance of inter-agency collaboration, citing partnerships with the Lagos State Safety Commission and LASTMA as critical to the seamless execution of the conference.
With a global network of over 25,000 professionals in 96 countries, IFMA is the leading authority in the field of facility management.
In her remarks, Ms. Paemen praised Nigeria’s growing influence in the FM sector and affirmed the organization’s confidence in Lagos as a strategic choice for this year’s gathering.
“The first edition of the Global Africa Conference in Ghana was a great success, and Lagos is well-positioned to build on that momentum. The city is dynamic, connected, and ready to host a truly global conversation,” she said.
Also speaking at the event, former IFMA Lagos Chapter President, Mr. Segun Adebayo, and current President, Engr. Sheriff Daramola, highlighted the chapter’s 27-year journey of advocacy, capacity development, and stakeholder engagement within Nigeria’s facility management landscape.
As Lagos prepares to host delegates and industry leaders from across the continent and beyond, the state government is optimistic that the 2025 IFMA Global Africa Conference will not only raise the bar for FM practice in Nigeria, but also position Lagos as a thought leader in infrastructure sustainability and urban innovation.
