Expert proffers solutions to addressing Lagos building collapse crisis

Lagos State has been battling with a crisis of building collapses over the years, leading to significant loss of lives and property in the state.

In November 2021, a 21-storey building in Ikoyi collapsed, claiming 44 lives. An incident that mirrored the issues of poor and ineffective law enforcement of Lagos building codes, usage of substandard materials and inconsistent regulations.

On Ibadan Street, Ebute Metta in May 2022, the collapse of a three-storey building resulted in at least 10 deaths reportedly.

Between 2005 and 2023, a staggering number of over 150 building collapse cases have been reported in Lagos and this has called for strict compliance and stringent monitoring to prevent further loss of lives and property.

These incidents, alongside many others, have called for strict regulatory reforms. The Lagos State Government has been criticised for failure to effectively curtail these issues.

There have been demands for rigorous inspections, strict penalties for violators, and reviews of existing safety regulations to prevent further building collapse accidents in the state.

When asked to comment on the building collapse crisis in the state, an environmental researcher and Director of Operations at Multi Environmental Management Consultants (MEMAC), Abdullahi Bello, emphasized the role of emerging technologies and research in preventing and mitigating the building collapse crisis in Lagos State.

Speaking on the Neighborhood Watch Program, an alert system developed by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) to improve citizen participation in reporting dilapidated buildings, Bello highlighted the potential of additional solutions to address the issue.

Bello noted, “Besides the old and dilapidated buildings, many of these collapsed structures were not developed according to the state’s planning standards and their collapse could have been prevented if they were spotted early on.”

“Despite the statistics on building collapse, the traditional method of monitoring physical development in Lagos State is probably the most efficient in the country, but with the state’s speedy development rate, it is no surprise that the monitoring efforts are being overwhelmed,” he added.

Recalling his time at the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Bello explained how integrating remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) could transform the agency’s operations.

He said, “The officers at LASBCA do a lot of work. We combed through a lot of neighbourhoods daily, in search of ongoing building construction projects to question and verify their building permits, as well as inspect the projects and workers for planning standards and safety compliance.

“Instead of this physical search, construction projects can be sensed remotely. This involves observing the earth using satellite or aerial imagery from drones. All we need is a constant update of imageries, we analyze them with GIS and fish out the new structures. The key is having a constant imagery update, which is much less work than a physical search, and most importantly, faster.”

Bello further added that this approach not only saves time but also reduces the costs associated with traditional monitoring operations. He stated that using remote sensing and GIS technology would fully prevent future building collapse in Lagos State.

“I believe remote sensing and GIS technology is the solution to preventing future building collapse in Lagos State,” he concluded.

As Lagos continues to grow, the usage of advanced technologies in monitoring and regulatory processes appears to be important towards ensuring the safety and sustainability of its infrastructure and urban environment.