Despite the alarming rate of building collapse and associated loss of lives in the last 48 years in Nigeria, stakeholders’ concerted efforts and political will to do the needful in order to stem the ugly trend are still lacking, resulting in purposeless repetition. DAYO AYEYEMI reports.
The increasing rate of building collapse in the country with associated lost of lives, properties and valuables, is causing major fear among citizens in most Nigerian cities.
This is not unconnected with the latest seven-storey building that caved in Oniru area, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday; and two incidents of collapse three storey building in Kubwa – Abuja and Kano last week.
Three cases of building collapse were also recorded in Lagos State between May and July, 2022.
For accommodation seekers in Lagos Island and Ebute Metta, Lagos, where the incidents are prevalent, the need to conduct thorough background checks before parting with money has become the order of the day.
Apart from the collapse of existing buildings, new structures under construction are also caving in.
This scenario has made residents to begin doubt the sincerity or seriousness of government and professional bodies in their fight again building collapse.
It is on record that no fewer than 512 building collapse’s incidents occurred in Nigeria in the last 48 years, according to the Building Collapse Prevention Guild’s report.
Out of these, Lagos State has recorded 322 incidents (63 per cent) followed by other states such as Rivers, Anambra, Enugu,Imo and Abuja.
According to media reports, no fewer than 307 people have died and 449 individuals injured from building collapse in Nigeria between 2013 and November, 2021. The figures only reflected the reported cases in the media.
Despite various tribunals and panels of investigation set up by the government to unravel the cause of building collapse and to punish offenders, the ugly incident has refused to stop, while no conviction has been made.
Lack of conviction of identified building collapse’s offenders in the court has weakened efforts to stem the ugly trend, while reports of recommendations by panels are also gathering dust on the shelves.
Building Collapse incidents
3.The collapse of a five-storey building on 63 Massey Street, Ita-Faaji, Lagos Island on March 2019, where no fewer than 20 people including pupils from Ohen Nursery and Primary school lost their lives, leaving more than 40 individuals trapped.
4.The collapse of the 19- storey Bank of Industry Building on Broad Street, Lagos in 2006 two days after a major fire outbreak, leaving one dead and many other with injuries. The crash affected eight floors and two parking floors.
6.The collapse of 21-storey building in Ikoyi, belonging to Messrs Threescore on November, 2022 in Lagos State, where 40 people, including the promoter of the project, Mr. Femi Osibodu, died and several others injured.
In all these incidents, Nigerian Tribune noted that arrests were made, panels of investigations set up, reports were made and set of recommendations rolled out.
However, findings show that no offender/ culprit has been brought to justice in the last 48 years.
Various factors not limited to poor workmanship, use of sub-standard building materials, use of unqualified professionals, shoddy construction and soil investigation, government official’s conspiracy, and lack of supervision/monitoring, among others have been adduced for frequent building collapse incidents in the country.
Why buildings still collapse
Speaking exclusively with the Nigerian Tribune, at the weekend in Lagos during an interview, former President, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Mr Chucks Omeife, said the major reason why buildings are still collapsing was because stakeholders have not stopped from doing things in the old ways and using outdated laws while expecting different results.
According to him, the National Building Code (NBC) was put together and seriously articulated looking at the peculiarities of the built environment sector, the prevailing attitude of Nigerians, the excesses of some professionals, the demarcation of professionals boundaries and standardisation of the operations of the agency responsible for managing the affairs of the sector.
Unfortunately, he noted that while all stakeholders in the built environment were involved in the articulations of the provisions of the NBC, many of them have backed out on the enthronement of the provisions of the NBC which , Omeife pointed out would have created a new order in the sector.
“Basically some of them are very comfortable with the old order despite its inadequacies in tackling the associated problems of building collapse.
“It’s important to mention that the birth of the NBC was at a time when buildings were collapsing across the country.
“It was a collective decision of all stakeholders in the sector under the umbrella of Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) to stop this professional embarrassment that resulted in origination of the NBC.”
“That some professionals in the sector are not backing the implementation of the NBC at all level is the cause of the building collapses we are witnessing today.
“We have continually tried the old ways and the result has been very unpleasant.
I have said it in several fora that the implementation of the provisions of the building code may not totally stop building from collapsing but l am sure that it will reduce the problem to the barest minimum,” Omeife said.
As it is, the former NIOB boss noted that many government’s ministries and agencies were shoddily and selectively adapting some parts of the provisions of the NBC as it suits them.
He described the attitude of the ministries and agencies of government as “unfortunate and unprofessional.”
“The advocacy now should be let us try the NBC and implement its provisions and see the result.
“If we are not fully satisfied, we can start making adjustments to the provisions to meet our peculiar needs,” he said.
Omeife said that building collapse would not stop as long as stakeholders keep applying the old laws and regulations.
According to him, stakeholders would need to do the right thing and apply the ever produced National Building Code in Nigeria tailored towards the professional peculiarities, attitudes, dispositions and environment.
“That is the only place to start from. Whatever effort outside this is a distraction and shadow chasing,’ he said.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer at Vasons Concept Consultants Ltd, Dr Victor Oyenuga, an engineer, stated that buildings were collapsing because remedies proffered are yet to be adhered to.
To stem building collapse’s incidents, the structural engineer stated that some procedures must be followed.
According to him, structures must be designed by qualified and certified professionals, adding that supervision of construction structures to be executed must be done by qualified and certified professionals.
According to him, materials for production must be specified, adding that appropriate technology should be deployed.
Oyenuga stated that structures must be used for the purpose of design,” that is, don’t convert residential to commercial or public gathering.”
He pointed out that soil test/report remained the only solution to foundation problems.
Former Director- General, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Professor Danladi S. Matawal, corroborated Oyenuga, saying that building would continue to collapse due to the fact that stakeholders have stopped trying more intensely, adding that once they made attempts, they became complacent and relax.
He noted that there have been new cases of building collapse in Nigeria recently.
“I think Lagos still accounts for most, followed by Port Harcourt where even a flyover bridge was said to have failed about three weeks ago and then denied by their Commissioner of Works who said it was an accident.
“Then the latest are in Abuja and Kano, both two cities can be said to be a rare incident going by their recent good records,” he said
Matawal, who also is a lecturer at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, maintained that there was something stakeholders were not doing right, leading to building collapse.
Since most incidents are primarily peak rainy season phenomena, he is of the opinion that soil incapacities must now be the subject of focus, knowing that they get softened by excessive moisture leading to weakening below foundations and collapse.
Stricter requirements
Professor Matawal stated that stricter requirements should be set up by regulatory authorities for more comprehensive soils reports for sites before approving sizeable building construction on sites within town planning jurisdictions.
“The soils should cover adequately the breadth and length of sites while the depths of explorations should be deep enough to reveal all the profiling to cater for the size of a building. This is the first condition for approval.
“After the soils reports and then appropriate structural designs are available, regulatory authorities may now begin to request for appropriate supervision set ups which need to be monitored once the construction commences until successfully completed,” he said.
Past panels of investigations
In 2013, Former Governor Babatunde Fashola set up a Tribunal of Enquiry into incessant cases of building collapse in Lagos. The tribunal was chaired by Arc Abimbola Ajayi and other seasoned professionals as members.
At the end, the tribunal, in its findings, identified 135 cases of building collapse in Lagos within seven years, listed factors responsible and gave some recommendations on how to stem the tide.
As usual, a Panel, led by Wasiu Olokunlola, was set up by Governor Babajide Sanwo olu, to unravel the remote cause of a five-storey building collapse at 63 Massey Street, Ita-Faaji in Lagos Island.
At the end of the exercise, the panel discovered 273 distressed buildings across Lagos State in which 136 weak buildings were discovered in Lagos Island division, 33 in Badagry, 29 in Ikorodu, 25 in Epe and 60 in Ikeja divisions. Up till now, no conviction was made.
In 2016, a Panel of Enquiry to investigate the cause of a seven-storey’s Lekki Garden’s building collapse around Lekki, Lagos.
The owner of the building and others contractors were arrested and arraigned before the Lagos Division of the State High Court over alleged complicity and negligence. As usual, more than six years down the line, there was no conviction.
In the case of a Guest House building collapse within the Synagogue Church of All Nation’s premises in Ikotun, Lagos, two government’s agencies and a pressure group – Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), thereafter, examined the site and found some inadequacies ranging between inadequate beams and reinforcement. As usual, no conviction.
Other states such as Rivers, Plateau, Kano, Enugu, Anambra, Kaduna, Delta, Abia, Imo, Oyo and Ogun states had witnessed pockets of building collapse in the last five years, which were followed by panels of investigations.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
2025 is already shaping up to be a defining year for the crypto market. While…
The Chairman, Odua Investment Company (OIC), Chief Bimbo Ashiru, says the South-West Region has…
The Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), Nigeria Chapter, and the Cocoa Farmers Association…
The National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) and URUS Genetics are working on a partnership which…
The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) said it has, in collaboration with the European…
•Laments poor funding of research institutes Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospital, Research Institutes…
This website uses cookies.