Lagos tops with 297 building collapse incidents in 47 years in Nigeria

With the latest Ikoyi Building collapse, no fewer than 463   incidents of building collapse occurred in Nigeria in the last 47 years (October, 1974 to November, 2021), Nigeria Tribune investigation has shown.

Within this space, the total number of recorded deaths is about 1,132, with an uncountable number of the injured. The figures included the number of casualties from last week’s collapse of a 21-storey building in Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to recent  analysis by the former  President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Mr Kunle Awobodu, while Lagos topped  other states with 297 incidents, (including Ikoyi building collapse) amounting to 65 per cent of the cases  in Nigeria, Lagos Island alone accounted for 67 (23 per cent)  of the incident  in the state.

Awobodu stated  that within the  period of 47 years,  Abuja recorded 16  incidents of building collapse; Oyo -16 cases , Anambra -15, Kano -9, Ondo -9, Abia- 9, Kwara -8, Rivers-8, Delta-8, Enugu -7, Ogun-7, Plateau -6, Kaduna -6, Edo -6, Imo -5, Osun-5, Benue -3 and Adamawa -3 incidents.

Others are Ebonyi -3, Niger -2, Kebbi -2, Ekiti -2, Cross River-2, Sokoto 1, Bauchi 1, Akwa Ibom 1, Kogi 1 and Katsina 1 cases respectively.

While blaming activities of quacks and pervasive ignorance for most incidents of building collapse, Awobodu said the outcome of many investigations of collapsed buildings in the country had revealed a prime cause, which is quackery.

He lamented that it should be a matter of concern to all stakeholders that individuals are dabbling into a profession they lack competence.

According to him, the primary motive of those who engaged in quackery was to make immediate pecuniary gains, giving little consideration to the risks involved.

”Quackery in building construction has really turned gains to pains in many homes. Quackery has left on its trail a tale of woes,” he said.

According to him, until quacks involved in cases of   building collapse are brought to book to serve as deterrents, building construction work would remain an attractive business for charlatans.

This trend, he said has posed a dangerous phenomenon for the Nigerian nation.

Awobodu explained   that those who are engaging in building construction work must be well trained and should keep to the approved standards as enshrined in the National Building Code.

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