How to prevent incessant collapse of buildings —BCPG

“BUILDING collapses can be prevented if there is societal reorientation, renewed professional integrity, and a commitment to doing things’ right.”

Those were the concluding words of the Past President, Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers, Dr. Victor Oyenuga, during the webinar organised at the weekend by the Amuwo-Odofin Cell of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) in Lagos.

Most presentations at the webinar addressed the alarming frequency of building collapses in Nigeria, a phenomenon that has resulted in tragic loss of lives and property, particularly in urban centres like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

Oyenuga outlined the key factors for structural stability, including proper design, sound material selection, accurate load calculations, and ongoing maintenance.

At the core of safe building design, his presentation stressed two main goals: safety and economy. Achieving these, he said would depend on engaging qualified professionals, conducting soil tests, using quality materials, applying proper construction techniques, and ensuring strict supervision and quality control throughout the project lifecycle.

Decrying the incessant collapse of building in Nigerian cities, he emphasised that most of these collapsed buildings were modest structures typically four-storey buildings that should not challenge experienced engineers.

However, he said that due to widespread negligence and greed, failures persist.

Examples of building collapses from other countries—such as India, Pakistan, and Brazil were cited to show that while such incidents occur globally, the scale and regularity in Nigeria are particularly disturbing.

Oyenuga chronicled the founding of BCPG in 2011, an initiative that brought together professionals from architecture, engineering. building, surveying, and planning disciplines to stem the tide of collapses, explaining that the group has expanded across the country and now plays a key role in raising awareness and pushing for reforms.

Coordinator, BCPG Amuwo-Odofin Cell, Bldr. Chubike Okafor, also described common failure modes such as punching shear, bearing failure and poor detailing, many of which stemmed from substandard practices and neglect during construction.

He reeled out the causes of building collapse to include unqualified clients, poor design, inferior materials, shoddy workmanship, absence of supervision and lack of proper planning or quality control.

 He emphasised that collapse happened during construction, indicating that the structure was too weak to support even its own weight.

“The consequences of these failures are dire as hundreds of lives lost, enormous economic losses, expensive site clearances, legal and regulatory setbacks, and a growing public distrust in professionals and government regulators,” he said.

To combat this, Okafor suggested the appointment of only qualified and experienced designers and contractors to manage building production process.

He also suggested collaboration among professionals, training of artisans, enforcement of material quality standards, mandatory soil investigation, prohibiting of unauthorized change of use in building without proper structural reassessment, and avoiding over-reliance on software without engineering judgment.

READ ALSO: BCPG seeks enforcement of LASBCA regulations on building collapse