Expert identifies poor designs, substandard materials as causes of building collapse

Poor structural designs, use of substandard materials (steel reinforcement bars), quackery, unprofessionalism, inadequate soil testing, poor construction practises and procedures, unapproved construction, and improper demolition processes are some of the factors responsible for incessant building collapses in the country.

According to the immediate past Director-General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, other contributing factors include a lack of maintenance, negligence, and poor drainage around the collapsed buildings.

He is calling for further collaboration with stakeholders and other sector regulators to tackle frequent cases of building collapses in the country.

He explained that most of these causative factors were revealed from the investigations carried out on collapsed buildings.

According to him, these unfortunate incidents have resulted in the loss of lives, jobs, finances, and environmental degradation, among other consequences.

He emphasised that SON, in collaboration with other sector regulators, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), the Ministry of Works, and other development agencies at both the state and federal levels, has been working tirelessly to address the menace.

To effectively address the issue of building collapses, Salim enjoined all agencies and organisations responsible for standards in the building industry to work closely with SON to ensure a safe environment for all Nigerians.

“As a nation, we must imbibe and promote voluntary compliance with standards as is done in other parts of the world,” he said, adding that authorities responsible for granting building approvals should ensure compliance with all relevant requirements, processes, and procedures.

Furthermore, he emphasised the need for stiffer penalties for offenders and those complicit in building collapses.

“You hardly hear of cases where the contractor who handled the contract is prosecuted or punished in one way or another,” he added.

He explained that SON is committed to working closely with relevant government agencies, industry stakeholders, and the public to address the issue of building collapses in Nigeria.

“I urge the public to report any suspected cases of using substandard materials or poor construction practises to the organisation through any of our offices in all the states of the Federation, including the FCT, for prompt action.

“The safety and well-being of Nigerians remain a top priority for SON. As the National Standards Body (NSB), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is committed to ensuring the safety and integrity of structures across the nation and recognises the need for a comprehensive approach to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

“The organisation is of the view that compliance with standard specifications and Codes of Practise play a fundamental role in reinstating the eroding confidence of Nigerians in the Nigerian building industry.”

Regarding efforts to rid the steel market of substandard products, aside from a series of engagements with stakeholders, he said the organisation had carried out full-scale nationwide enforcement in factories and marketplaces, while culpable dealers were sanctioned in line with the provisions of SON Act No. 14 of 2015.

Furthermore, he said that SON had invested significant resources in building competence to carry out quality tests in the building industry nationwide over the last 10 years.

The continuous provision of laboratory equipment, including mobile block testing machines, has yielded positive results over the years.

The essence of implementing these measures, he said, was to ensure that all buildings in the country are safe, structurally sound, and built to withstand the various environmental and usage conditions they may face.

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