Developing an Original Multi-Criteria Decision Framework for Public Building Asset Management in Nigeria

Public building asset management in Nigeria is characterised by reactive maintenance, inadequate data systems, and inconsistent prioritisation of capital expenditure, and an original multi-criteria decision framework calibrated to Nigerian institutional conditions represents a significant contribution to public infrastructure management theory and practice. This study develops, tests, and validates an original Multi-Criteria Decision Framework for Public Building Asset Management in Nigeria (MCDF-PBAM-NG). The framework integrates building condition assessment, life cycle cost analysis, functional performance evaluation, heritage significance assessment, and stakeholder priority weighting into a structured decision model for prioritising maintenance, refurbishment, replacement, and disposal decisions across public building portfolios. The framework was developed through three stages: conceptual development through systematic literature review and expert consultation (40 participants); pilot application to 50 federal government buildings across five states representing different geopolitical zones; and validation through stakeholder acceptance testing with 25 government asset management professionals. The framework incorporates an original Integrated Building Value Score combining physical condition, functional adequacy, and strategic importance dimensions. Sensitivity analysis confirmed robustness of prioritisation outcomes to changes in stakeholder weighting of decision criteria. The MCDF-PBAM-NG was applied to generate maintenance prioritisation rankings for the 50-building pilot portfolio, with rankings accepted as professionally reasonable by 88% of expert validators. Original contributions include the MCDF-PBAM-NG framework structure, the Integrated Building Value Score methodology, and a software implementation tool developed in Python and made available as open-source for Nigerian government asset managers.

Keywords: building asset management, multi-criteria decision framework, public buildings, Nigeria, life cycle cost