COREN: Lagos, Anambra Top Building Collapse Cases, Rising Incidences Worrisome

•Seeks insurance for selected building types nationwide 

•Senate asks FG to check menace

Emmanuel Addeh and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the regulatory body that governs the practice of engineering in the country, yesterday disclosed that Lagos, Anambra, Ekiti and Plateau topped the states with the highest incidences of building collapse in the first six and a half months of 2024.

Briefing the press in Abuja, the council’s President, Prof Sadiq Abubakar, said that the organisation was perturbed by the incessant and avoidable incidences of building collapse in Nigeria and the loss of lives in recent times.

 Although COREN said that as a body it does not rush to make conclusive comments after building collapses without failure to investigate, it said causes vary from one location to the other.

In Nigeria , COREN stated that from its investigations and researches conducted over the years, the collapses are usually caused by substandard construction materials, structural failure, illegal change of use of buildings as well as illegal addition of floors.

Others, it said, include quackery, inadequate or lack of supervision and oversight, faulty foundations or lack of conduct of soil and geotechnical investigation, sharp and corrupt practices, amongst others.

It added that while relevant professionals continue to engage cement manufacturers through relevant joint committee of the National Assembly, it will continue to collaborate with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) towards sanitising the market of inappropriate building materials.

“From January to 14 July, 2024 alone, at least 22 cases of building collapses have been reported in Nigeria with Lagos accounting for 27.27 per cent, Abuja and Anambra 18.18 per cent each, Ekiti and Plateau 9.09 per cent each and Kano, Taraba and Niger States accounting for 4.55 per cent each.

“Records have also shown that Lagos takes the lead in the incidences of building collapse. As a matter of fact, over 91 buildings have collapsed, resulting in the death of over 354 persons in Lagos from 2012 to date. Similarly in Abuja, about 30 buildings have collapsed from 1993 till date resulting in the death of more than 64 persons and injury of many.

“The most recent occurrences of building collapse close to DMGS Onitsha, Anambra State on June 12, 2024, a School (Saint Academy) in Plateau State on Friday,  July 13, 2024 where it was reported that 22 students died and 134 injured as well as the building collapse in Kubwa, Abuja, on Saturday, July 14, 2024 where five persons were rescued is worrisome and calls for deep reflection and collaboration of all stakeholders in stemming the tide,” it added.

While commiserating with all victims and families of the collapse, the council lauded states for constituting panels to unravel the causes of the building collapses.

“This is not the time for apportioning blames or contest of superiority within the built environment but a time for all stakeholders to unite and proffer workable and lasting solution particularly in the prevention of building collapses,” it added.

All professionals within the built environment, Abubakar said, have a role to play in this, noting that COREN had identified and categorised many stakeholders that it will be engaging shortly.

The proliferation of illegal miners even within residential areas as reported in some quarters, it said, was a danger to the structural stability of buildings and  urged affected states to take urgent steps to reverse the trend.

According to COREN, it is also time to enforce the compulsory insurance of some buildings under construction.

“COREN has taken some steps in monitoring and prevention of the building collapse by doing the following. COREN is poised to train and license  Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) inspectors.

“COREN has reconstituted it’s Council Committee on Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) and added the role of enforcement to its role in line with the amended COREN Act.

“COREN has constituted ERM&E Task Force at regional levels including Ibadan, Port Harcourt. Enugu. Kano, FCT, Gombe and Lagos. COREN Council has approved the establishment of Engineering Intelligence and Surveillance Whistle Blowers to ease of identifying sharp practices and distressed Buildings.

“Investigation panel is in place. Disciplinary tribunal is also in place. COREN has initiated effort to develop critical mass of engineering infrastructure failure and forensic investigators.

“Discussions are ongoing with the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) and the Chartered Institute of Fraud and Forensic Investigators (CIFFI) in this regard.

“We want to encourage the general public to share useful information with us and concerned authorities as soon as signs of distress are observed in any building so that proactive steps can be taken,” Abubakar stated.

 Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday asked the federal government and all relevant government  agencies to urgently put necessary structures in place to handle construction failures and bring to book all  those violating lay down procedures for  construction activities.

This was sequel to a motion by Senator Dickey Plang, Plateau Central,  on the recent building collapse that claimed the lives of 22 students in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

He noted  with sadness that  it was a depressing sight  seeing healthy and agile children who left home to write their examination to return to their parents as dead bodies.

Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) who seconded the motion said the tragedy in Jos North  had become too many. He said it was painful to send a child to school only for such parent to hear that the child was no more.

“These ugly incidences of building collapses  have been a recurring decimal  in Nigeria as a result of poor workmanship, substandard building materials and constructional standards leading to wanton destruction of precious lives  and various properties valued hundreds of millions of naira,” he said.

The Senate noted that despite such incidences, the investigation and researches to identify the poor and  unprofessional work, it has never resulted in any meaningful punitive measures on defaulters.

Senators who contributed to the motion including Senators, Adams Oshiomole, Edo North; Adamu Aliero, Kebbi Central and Zam Titus, Benue North West, urged the federal government to investigate the incident  and bring to book any one connected in putting up the shabby  structure in the school that collapsed.

The Senate also urged the National Emergency Agency(NEMA) and  all other agencies to mobilise relief materials to victims and their families.

They also urged the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant government agencies to immediately move to Plateau North to give medical aid to the survivors of the building collapse to aid speedy recovery and cushion the  devastating effect to the affected  families. The Senate then observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased victims.