Facility Maintenance Culture in Nigerian Universities: A Case Study of a Public University

This research examined the culture of facility maintenance at a Nigerian public University, focusing on evaluating maintenance strategies and the factors that influence the maintenance culture. Data was collected through close-end questionnaires administered to the University’s works department. For data analysis, descriptive statistical methods include the relative importance index, weighted mean, and frequency distribution table. The findings indicate that key factors influencing the maintenance culture at the University include delayed responses to maintenance requests, insufficient funding for maintenance activities, and the absence of a maintenance policy. Reactive and corrective maintenance strategies and occasional renovations were identified as the predominant approaches employed at the University. Consequently, this study proposes that adequate funding should be allocated to the maintenance department to ensure prompt response to maintenance requests, thereby reducing the time required for repairs and preventing further deterioration. Moreover, the existing maintenance strategies at the University are deemed inadequate; thus, it is recommended that a proactive preventive maintenance culture is adopted with purpose-driven plans and policies, along with outsourcing facility maintenance services.