Rushed Construction, Ignoring Regulations Major Causes of Building Collapse, Says NIOB

Bennett Oghifo

The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Lagos State chapter has said that the incessant collapse of buildings in the country is due to a combination of avoidable man-made factors such as non-adherence to building regulations, hastened construction and miserly application of construction materials, as well as employment of quacks by some developers.

These were the general thread of thought at press conference that was held prio to a workshop organised by the Lagos NIOB with the theme “Building Surveying Practice, Charting a New Course in Building Post Construction Services” 

Chairman of the chapter, Mr Lucky Isename, said the construction methods developers apply, was a major cause of building collapse and that the NIOB is pushing for the right procedures to be followed.

He said the workshop was to ensure good production management in building construction, adding that they would embark on ‘Building Surveying’, which he described as a new sector coming up in Nigeria where the fitness of houses could be determined through tests.

He said the NIOB carried out a survey on why old buildings in Badagry were still standing strong after about 100 years while new ones under construction were collapsing.

Isename said that the results were submitted to the government with recommendations for safer durable construction.

He warned developers against cutting corners when constructing highrise buildings by not following specifications on load and materials, which resulted in collapse.

“It is not possible for us to develop a three storey building within six months. It is not possible, but what do we have here these days? We see people erecting buildings within six months, within eight, nine months, within a year and it is not a bungalow.

“Process of building has to be followed, it’s not something where you just wake up because you want to make money and then you put up a three or four storey building within a very short time,” he said.

The Publicity Secretary, Mr Godfrey Godfrey, said ‘building survey’ would help the institute to collaborate and assist partners which include Standard Organisation of Nigeria and the Lagos State Government.

He said ‘building survey’ could also help home buyers and intending tenants because the property could be examined for appropriate advice to clients.

He said the measure was needed because collapse had become “a shameful menace” in Lagos State.

The treasurer, Mr Philip Olusesan, said with increased awareness, financial institutions would begin to demand for building survey reports as a requirement for giving loans.

Olusesan joined other executives to list benefits of the building survey practice and expressed hope that it would be captured in domestication of the National Building Code in Lagos State. 

The Honorary Secretary, Mr Abiodun Ogundare, wondered why in spite of various strong laws and regulations, buildings were still collapsing in Lagos State.

Ogundare said several efforts of the institute to curb the menace were not yielding desired results because of impunity caused by inadequate enforcement by government officials.

He expressed hope that the workshop theme, building survey practice and procedures, would be a tool to curb collapse in Lagos and in Nigeria.

He said building surveying practice was another measure to help government and other stakeholders to regularly check and know the structural stability of buildings.

On building regulations’ enforcement, Mr Sunday Wusu, the immediate past Chairman, said the revised 2019 Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) regulation had enough sanctions that were not being enforced.

Wusu said a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment is stipulated in the regulation for any site that does not have a builder supervising its project.

According to him, “Since this revised LABSCA regulation 2019 has been put forth, no person has been found wanting.” 

He said NIOB was creating awareness to ensure Lagos enshrined the building survey practice into laws.

He said although the government issues certificates of fitness for habitation, such buildings degenerate due to age hence the need for periodic surveys to determine structural stability.

“Over time, materials used for construction should be reassessed to know their structural integrity to assist owners know the type of maintenance to carry out,” he said.