Evaluation of Building Performance Monitoring Practices in Completed Federal Government Institutional Buildings in North West Nigeria

Post-construction building performance monitoring is a professional responsibility that ensures buildings continue to serve their intended functions safely and efficiently, yet its practice in completed federal government institutional buildings in North West Nigeria is largely unexamined. This study evaluated building performance monitoring practices in 20 completed federal government institutional buildings in Kano, Kaduna, and Sokoto States, including universities, hospitals, and government offices. Data were collected through structured interviews with facility managers and government officials (n = 40) and physical performance audits covering structural condition, building services performance, energy consumption, water usage, and occupant satisfaction. Results showed that formal performance monitoring was absent in 16 of 20 buildings, with routine inspection being limited to reactive response to reported deficiencies. Energy consumption monitoring was conducted in only 3 buildings. Structural condition assessment had not been conducted since project handover in 14 buildings. Occupant satisfaction surveys had never been administered in any of the 20 buildings. Mean overall performance audit scores ranged from 38 to 61 out of 100, indicating broadly below-target performance. The worst-performing buildings were those with the longest periods since handover and the weakest in-house facilities management capacity. The study recommends mandatory annual performance monitoring reports as a condition of continued operation for all federal government institutional buildings, administered through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

Keywords: building performance monitoring, federal buildings, North West Nigeria, facilities management, post-occupancy evaluation