Senate Moves to Tackle Unending Building Collapse

Udora Orizu writes that weeks after the Ikoyi Building Collapse in Lagos, the Senate has passed a Bill to regulate real estate business

The Senate has passed a Bill to establish the Real Estate Regulatory Council of Nigeria. The passage of the Bill came three weeks after a 21-storey building at Ikoyi, Lagos State collapsed on November 1, 2021 claiming over 40 lives, with several others injured.

There has been a spike in the number of building collapses in the country with many cases recorded over the last 10 years. Although every society has its own problems and Nigeria is not an exception yet the very recent frequent of buildings collapsing in various locations have been giving the various arms of government and the people of Nigeria sleepless nights in view of the enormous loss of huge investments in housing, properties and most importantly human life.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2019 warned that persons who compromised building regulations and quality standards in country would be punished. He said the increase in cases of building collapse was an indication of impunity by those responsible.

Buhari who gave the warning when the leadership of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors visited him at the Presidential Villa, said: “The recent tragic incidents in Lagos and many others across the country, remind us of the need to strictly adhere to quality standards when it comes to construction projects. Young, innocent lives must never be lost due to incompetence and greed. Simply put, no corners must be cut. l want to assure you that those responsible for such incidents of professional negligence will feel the full wrath of the law.”

However, despite the warning, repeated calls by victims, experts and many other Nigerians, there seem to be no end to the collapses. Of more concern is the lack of punishment for those responsible for the collapses.

Some Collapsed Buildings in the Last 10 Years

Lekki Building Collapse (2016)

On Tuesday, March 8, 2016, Lagos was in the news for the wrong reason once more. Another building had collapsed, tragedy had struck again. Around 3am, shortly after a windstorm, a five-storey building under construction at Lekki Gardens Horizon 1, in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos collapsed, killing no fewer than 34 persons and injuring several others.

The Uncompleted Building in Abuja

A four-storey uncompleted building at No. 2 Ikoli Street, Off, Gimbiya Street in Garki, Federal Capital Territory collapsed in August, 2010. When the building collapsed, over 30 people were inside. 21 of them died and 9 were injured. Some reports put the death toll at 23. While at least two more uncompleted buildings have collapsed in Abuja since then, none has matched the 2010 collapse in terms of casualties.

Jos School Building Collapse

On a Sunday evening in September 2013, Abu Naima Primary and Secondary School in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area collapsed. Ten of about 30 pupils, who were said to be mostly below 10 years old, were killed when the two-storey school building collapsed. The National Emergency Management Agency attributed the collapse to structural defects, saying the building was originally a bungalow before it was converted to a two-storey building. It’s foundation could not support the weight in the end.

The most recent one making the news, is the collapse of a 21-storey building at Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, killing over 40 persons including the owner, Femi Osibona, and injured many who were trapped inside debris of the structure.

This unfortunate incident has yet again sparked reactions from different quarters, with experts examining the lapses that led to the disaster, and possible remedy to avert future cases of such.

Possible Causes

Any attempt to address the problem of building collapse in Nigeria should look at all factors in the building process. While some blame it on quality of materials used, use of uncertified professionals to handle projects, others attribute it to poor regulatory or supervisory role on the part of government authority in charge of structures to ensure that appropriate engineering standards are maintained.

Building experts has blamed building collapses on the use of low quality building materials coupled with employment of incompetent artisans and weak supervision of workmen on site. Also building collapse were attributed to non-compliance with specifications, standards, use of substandard building materials and equipments and the employment of incompetent contractors. Another remote cause of building collapse, is also mainly the non-enforcement of existing laws and endemic poor work ethics of Nigerians at large.

Senate Wades in

As the frequent cases of building collapse in different parts of Nigeria keep attracting wide concern. the Senate at the plenary last week passed a Bill to establish the Real Estate Regulatory Council of Nigeria.

According to the Senate, the Council when established would among others, curb fraudulent practices and ensure that the real estate business aligns with the National Building Code in Nigeria.

The bill which scaled third reading during plenary is tagged: ‘The Real Estate Regulatory Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2021.’

Sponsored by Senator Aliyu Wamakko and read for the first time on April 28, 2021, while it scaled second reading on June 22, 2021. The passage of the bill was sequel to the consideration of a report on the Bill by the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.

The report was laid during plenary by the Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, who presented the report on behalf of the Committee Chairman, Ibrahim Shekarau, said the establishment of the Real Estate Council of Nigeria would provide efficient, effective and transparent administration of the business of real estate development in the country.

According to him, the Council would be responsible for prescribing minimum standards for the conduct of the businesses of real estate development across the country.

He recalled that the bill seeking to establish the Real Estate Council of Nigeria was passed by both chambers of the eighth National Assembly, but was not assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The lawmaker said the president’s refusal to withhold assent to the bill was not unconnected with certain observations raised by stakeholders at the time.

According to him: “Those observations have been taken care of in this report by the Committee following the engagement with stakeholders to ensure that real estate business in Nigeria confirms with the Money Laundering Act 2011 (as amended) and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit Act 2018 in terms of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing due diligence compliance”.

He stressed that when established, the Council would standardize the business of real estate by regulating the conduct of transactions; and provide enabling environment and transparency in the business of real estate development in Nigeria.

The legislator stated that the Council would also curb fraudulent practices to ensure that the real estate business confirms with the National Building Code in Nigeria; as well as create an innovative and sustainable environment to promote Nigeria as a real estate investment destination in Africa and the world.

Will the Council be able to Tackle Unending Building Collapse in Nigeria?

Over the years, with every devastating building collapse in Nigeria, commissions of inquiries or probe panels were set up to investigate the cause with a view to finding lasting solutions to the menace. Sadly, none seems to have reached a logical conclusion; and consequently, no culprit has been brought to book.

Years back, Chief Inspector, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Mr Sam Adeleke, lamenting how governments treat alleged culprit of building collapse with kids’ gloves especially in Lagos, said: “Each time there is a building collapse the government of the state involved will issue a warning on zero tolerance of substandard buildings but nothing tangible comes out of it until the next building collapse tragedy occurs.”

If this Real Estate Regulatory Council of Nigeria Bill is finally assented to by Mr. President, it is expected of the parliament to ensure that the provisions in the Bill are strictly adhered to by real estate developers to ensure optimal performance in construction management and control for improved service delivery.