Regulatory lapses worsen building collapse cases amid deaths

The regulatory failure and lack of enforcement in construction standards have resulted in a harvest of deaths, as frequent building collapse cases claim hundreds of lives, JOSEPHINE OGUNDEJI writes

Omotolani Atolagbe’s voice quivered with distress as she settled into the chair reserved for her at the other end of the table, despite the physical distance that separated her from this correspondent.

Over the phone, in the quiet of the evening in the Ikorodu area of Lagos in 2023, her words painted a haunting picture of a building collapse that killed two of her children. Her wry smile, though not visible, could be sensed in her voice as she began to recount the tragic tale.

As the tears welled in her eyes, she paused, audibly wiping her face on the back of her hand. Her voice trembled with emotion as she vividly described the heart-wrenching events that had unfolded, the loss of two of her beloved children. The telephone line seemed to resonate with the weight of her grief, her words carrying the anguish of a mother’s pain.

“Since the collapse that cost the lives of my 10-year-old and 7-year-old sons, I have just been squatting with my older sister and remaining four children in the garage, while my husband is sleeping from one mosque to another that he comes across, we do not have a home or anything, we do not have any help, the case has since then been in court,” she explained to our correspondent.

The middle-aged old woman remained polite, even in the face of such overwhelming sorrow. However, her words and tone betrayed her as someone who was profoundly dazed by the tragedy that had befallen her family as she spoke of her loss.

Frequent building collapses across Nigeria have left a trail of death and destruction, underscoring a disturbing pattern of regulatory failure and a lack of accountability that enables the continued disregard for construction safety standards.

In major cities like Lagos and Abuja, where urbanisation is booming, incidents of collapse have become chillingly regular.

1,574 lives lost

The PUNCH reported that from October 1, 1974, to September 17, 2024, a total of 1,574 deaths occurred in 627 reported incidents of building collapse in Nigeria as disclosed by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild.

These figures reveal a worrying pattern of fatalities resulting from compromised building integrity, poor regulatory enforcement, and inadequate safety measures in construction practices.

In recent incidents, the toll of this crisis has continued to grow. On October 31, 2024, a tragic building collapse in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, claimed the lives of 10 individuals and injured seven others.

A statement from the Oyo State Fire Services Agency disclosed that the incident happened at 2 am at Jegeda Oluloyo area in Ibadan in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state.

Just days after this disaster, another collapse struck on November 5, 2024, this time in the Rivers State community of Egbelu Mgbaraja, located in the Ogbogoro area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, a two-storey building still under construction gave way, leading to the death of one person and leaving another severely injured.

The recurring incidents of building collapse across Nigeria highlight a serious, systemic issue within the construction industry and its regulatory framework.

These tragedies underscore gaps in construction oversight, inconsistent enforcement of safety standards, and lax adherence to building codes, all of which contribute to a troubling pattern of structural failures.

Experts have frequently cited substandard building materials, poor regulatory compliance, poor-quality workmanship, disregard for essential building codes, and a lack of rigorous regulatory inspections as major factors behind these frequent collapses.

BCPG also stated in a report that Nigeria witnessed a total of 635 building collapses between 1974 to November 5, 2024.

The report indicated that Lagos State had recorded a high collapse with over 351 buildings caving in the last 50 years.

It showed that 351 collapsed buildings in Lagos represented 55.28 per cent of a total of 635 recorded cases in the country during this period.

The report stated, “Lagos State accounts for 55.28 per cent of recorded building collapse incidents in Nigeria. Abuja follows in second place with 4.25 per cent, Anambra ranks third with 4.09 per cent, Oyo is fourth, and Kano holds fifth place with 3.46 per cent. Taraba, Bayelsa, Gombe, and Yobe states each recorded their first building collapse incident in 2022. In Zamfara, Taraba, Yobe, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Gombe, Katsina, and Kebbi states, there has been only one recorded building collapse.

“In the years 1971, 1975, and 1981, there were no recorded building collapses. Despite the COVID lockdown, 2020 saw 45 building collapses nationwide, with Lagos accounting for 18, or 40 per cent. The year 2022 recorded the highest number of collapses, totaling 62 nationwide, with Lagos responsible for 20 (32 per cent). In 2023, there were 52 recorded collapses across Nigeria, with Lagos contributing 17, (33 per cent).

“As of 2024, 43 building collapses have been recorded nationwide: Lagos has seen 12, Anambra and Abuja 5 each, Kano 4, Jigawa and Plateau 3 each, Osun, Rivers, and Delta 2 each, and Niger, Abia, Edo, Oyo, and Ebonyi 1 each. The first recorded building collapse occurred in October 1974 in Oyo State, when a multi-storey building collapsed due to excessive loading, resulting in 27 fatalities. The tallest building collapse took place in Lagos on 1st November 2021, tragically killing 52 people.”

Findings by the guild revealed that professional ineptitude ranging from excessive loading, lack of proper regulations, use of substandard materials, faulty design, poor workmanship, and weak foundation accounted for a significant fraction of the collapses recorded during the period under review.

The Pioneer President of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Kunle Awobodu, said it was an aberration when new buildings collapse frequently, while some old buildings were still intact after several years.

Awobodu said, “This brings us to the expiry date of a building. Theoretically, a building is assumed to have a lifespan of about 60 years. However, looking at the age of the Wiston Castle in London for instance, the castle has been there since 1070. Coming home to Nigeria, in some of the building surveys conducted by the Nigerian Institute of Building in 2020, it would be discovered that buildings like the Water House owned by Candido Da Rocha on Lagos Island were constructed in 1874 and were still stable when we conducted a structural integrity test on it.

“This means that the construction technology is questionable, and the durability of materials and professionalism is essential when buildings are being constructed. In addition, the problem of quackery in the building construction industry in Nigeria has been a major cause of frequent collapses.”

Speaking with The PUNCH, the Chief Executive Officer of Fame Oyster & Co., Olufemi Oyedele, said nobody has been jailed due to a building collapse, adding that what the government does is to only confiscate the land on which the building collapsed and ask the owner of the property to pay compensation to the family of the victims.

He said, “Government must make a law criminilasing building collapse. Owners of building collapse should be prosecuted after this law has been made. If we really want to stop building collapse in Nigeria, we must be ready to try the owners and the construction crew of the building in court and jail the owners and their agents for their actions and inactions that led to the collapse.

“In some countries, building collapse will be investigated and those found to be negligent will be punished as a deterrent to others. In most countries, constructions are done by professionals. In Nigeria, everybody can build a structure and most of these prospective builders do not engage qualified engineers.

“The corruption level is so high that people do not observe building rules. For example, common concrete is supposed to be mixed in the ratio of 1 part of cement to 2 parts of sand and 4 parts of gravel. Most builders do not obey this simple rule in trying to economise. In some cases, the contractor in charge, in trying to maximise profit, will use 50 bags of cement instead of 75 bags and steal the money for 25 bags of cement. Also, our blocks are the weakest in Africa.

“In Egypt, South Africa, Rwanda, the Republic of Benin, and Ghana, Nigerian concrete blocks are the weakest. Standard Organization if Nigeria has no time to control the quality of our blocks. These are some of the reasons why we have buildings collapse every week. If there can be enforcement of regulations and deterrence of regulations flouters, incessant building collapse will stop. The way out is for governments to make laws criminilasing building collapse and for owners of collapsed buildings to be tried for economic wastes, building collapse will stop.”

Speaking on the building collapse of Synagogue Church Of All Nations, the Building Collapse Prevention Guild in a statement lamented the futility as regards the outcome of the case in court.

It recalled, “This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations building collapse, which led to the loss of 116 people.

“On Friday, September 12, 2014, a tragic incident occurred when a 7-storey multipurpose building within the Synagogue Church of All Nations premises in Ikotun, Lagos State, Nigeria, collapsed. In response to this devastating news, members of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Igando-Ikotun Cell rushed to the scene to offer assistance.”

The guild noted that it was tasked by the coroner’s inquest to investigate the causes of the collapse that led to such a huge loss of lives.

It posited, “As an independent body of built environment professionals, BCPG was tasked by the coroner’s inquest to investigate the causes of the collapse that led to such a huge loss of lives. An intensive technical investigation was carried out pro bono, resulting in a comprehensive report that became instrumental in the subsequent court prosecution.

“Today marks the 10th anniversary of this unfortunate building collapse. How time flies!

“However, a pressing question weighs on our minds on this solemn day: What is the outcome of the court case? We hereby call on the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Lawal Pedro, SAN, to provide an answer to this important and legitimate question.”

The guild added that justice delayed is justice denied, describing that the lack of consequences and deterrence fostered a culture of impunity in the country.

Meanwhile, the Treasurer of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Victoria Island Branch, Babatunji Adegoke, said perpetrators have been prosecuted, although some wriggle their way out of the judicial process.

He said, “Regulatory failure and a lack of deterrence significantly contribute to building collapses. Understaffed regulatory agencies struggle to effectively monitor rapid construction, especially in urban areas. Corruption among regulators and other stakeholders compromises building quality and safety for personal gain.

“Weak penalties and slow legal processes hinder accountability and deterrents. Additionally, some regulatory agencies prioritise revenue generation over effective regulation, neglecting their core functions.

To address these issues, it is crucial to strengthen regulatory capacity by increasing staffing, engaging external experts, collaborating with professional bodies, and investing in staff training and development. Swift justice and strict enforcement of building codes are essential to deter violations. Public awareness campaigns and whistle-blower protection measures can empower citizens to report concerns and hold accountable those responsible for building failures.”

According to Adegoke, to deter violations of building codes and ensure accountability, the judicial process must be strengthened to expedite the handling of causes related to building collapses. This will send a clear message that such violations will not be tolerated.

He added, “Additionally to deter violations of building codes and ensure swift justice, creating a specialised court dedicated to handling cases related to building code violations is essential. This specialised court would streamline the legal process, expedite case resolution, and send a strong message that such violations will not be tolerated.”