A storey building under construction on Isaga Road, directly opposite the Idi Araba Central Mosque, collapsed on Sunday afternoon, trapping some workers beneath the rubble.
Emergency responders were quickly mobilised after distress alerts were received at around 3:40 p.m. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed that its response team from the Cappa base arrived at the scene by 3:56 p.m. and immediately began search and rescue operations.
While the exact cause of the collapse is yet to be determined, authorities say investigations are ongoing to uncover the circumstances behind the incident.
One person has so far been rescued alive from the debris. No fatalities have been confirmed at the time of this report, and rescue efforts are still underway.
A preliminary report from LASEMA indicates that the affected site has been cordoned off for safety. A heavy-duty excavator has also been deployed to support the operation.
Officials from LASEMA, the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) are all present at the scene, working collaboratively to ensure a successful rescue.
Oyo State Government has begun a 60-day Online Building Permit Amnesty (OYBPA) programme, aimed at regularising buildings that were constructed without proper government approval.
The programme kick started officially yesterday and will end on October 27.
The government said the programme would also regularise those in violation of building regulations in the state and process new approvals within this 60-day window.
Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo said this yesterday in Ibadan.
He said the scheme was in line with Governor Seyi Makinde’s transformation and sustainable development agenda, designed to enable the government improve urban planning ‘’and enhance security and safety of lives and property in our dear state.’’
The Lagos State Government has revoked all existing building permits and ordered builders to reapply for validation to continue construction.
The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde, said this during a visit to the collapsed building site in Maryland, Ikeja on Saturday.
Babatunde was accompanied by Mr Gbolahun Oki, the General Manager, Lagos State Building Collapse Agency (LASBCA), and some executive members.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a building under construction collapsed on Thursday at 13, Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate, Maryland, Lagos, killing five workers.
He said: “All commencement certifications in Lagos are revoked effective immediately. This applies to everyone with a construction site, including those in the big five category.
“Return to the LASBCA office to revalidate that document. If you decide not to go for the revalidation of that documentation, we are going to seal that ”site.
He expressed deep sorrow over the incident and emphasised that such occurrences should not happen.
Babatunde who acknowledged government’s responsibility in preventing building collapse blamed property owners and developers for negligence and for violating building regulations.
He stressed the importance of obtaining a Certificate of Completion or Fitness for Habitation before occupying a building.
Babatunde added that the government would prosecute anyone found violating this rule.
He noted that the government had strict regulations regarding building construction and occupancy.
Babatunde said that buildings must be certified by LASBCA before habitation and failure to comply, a criminal offence.
He disclosed that LASBCA would increase enforcement, including using private consultants to inspect buildings.
Babatunde said that the agency had taken steps to enforce building regulations, including issuing stop-work orders and sealing of buildings.
He said that the agency was still faced with some challenges due to limited resources and hostile developers.
He called on private professionals to collaborate with the government to strengthen building regulation enforcement in the state.
The General Manager of LASBCA, Mr Gbolahun Oki, outlined the agency’s response to the recent building collapse and its plans for preventing future incidents.
Oki said that LASBCA would conduct comprehensive inspection of buildings in the affected estate, marking and demolishing those deemed unsafe.
He explained that the area affected by the collapse had poor soil conditions, emphasising the need for rigorous building inspections and approvals.
He said that all construction sites must have a full team of professionals (architect, structural engineer, electrical, mechanical, and builder) to ensure adherence to building codes.
Oki said that the agency would strictly enforce construction hours (7 .00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.) and prohibit on-site sleeping to improve worker safety.
He said the agency would expand its capacity through a public-private partnership to enhance building control and inspection.
Earlier, Mrs Florence Agbaye, Director Inspectorate and Quality Control, Ikeja Division, highlighted the role of the department and the challenges faced in ensuring building safety in Lagos.
Agbaye said that developers often continue work illegally despite serving of notices and sealing of construction sites.
She said a case in point was the present collapsed building which had received notices and seals, but construction continued illegally.
She said that many developers failed to invite the department for required stage inspections.
“We are supposed to inspect every construction at every stage of work but to our amazement, most construction don’t invite LASBCA for stage inspection, like the sites that we are on today,” Agbaye said.
A two-storey building undergoing construction in Aba North Local Government Area, in the heart of the commercial nerve of Abia State has collapsed.
The building located at Akubuiro, behind St John’s Anglican Church, Osusu was said to have collapsed Friday night.
Our correspondent who visited the scene reports that there was no loss of life as the workers on site were said to have left the building a few hours before the collapse.
A resident of the area who lives beside the collapsed building, who spoke anonymously said that they were inside the house, at about 8 pm when they heard a noise, and crashing of what they later discovered to be the bamboo tree mounted for scaffolding and debris from the collapsed building that fell into their compound.
The source said that they came out to meet the building partially collapsed.
According to the source, all the workers on site had already left the site before the collapse.
Another source, Chikwado, disclosed that the owner of the building which has advanced to the roofing stage, was at the site to monitor the progress of work and interacted with the site engineer, a few hours before the building collapsed.
“It’s a two-storey building. The building has a warehouse under it. They just finished carpentry work to commence the casting of the concrete facial (parapets) before the building went down.
“From what we have seen, it appears that the contractor didn’t use quality materials in doing the job. Look at the block and iron (rod), they appear to be substandard.”
Our correspondent reports that officials of the Aba South Town Planning Authority had already sealed off the place to wade off people from having access to the construction site.
According to an official of the Town Planning Authority who spoke anonymously as he was not authorised to speak officially on the incident, told our correspondent at the scene of the building collapse that they had commenced investigations n to ascertain the root cause of the building collapse with the help of their engineers.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has restated its commitment to building the infrastructure that is required to deliver gas into the country. The Group Chief Executive of the company, Mele Kolo Kyari stated this during the keynote at the ongoing of the 23rd Annual Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG), Energy Week, with the theme: “Showcasing Opportunities, Driving Investment, Meeting Energy Demand Conference and Exhibition, in Abuja.
Kyari said the delivery of domestic gas was a key objective of the President Bola Tinubu’s government as well as that of the oil company and its various partners.
The Group Chief Executive said there’s no country clearly tied to Nigeria’s energy poverty, otherwise we would have had alternatives, but we didn’t have alternatives, he added.
According to Kyari, this is because the country was unable to utilise the huge resources that it had in the country adding no one is putting money into domestic gas infrastructure.
“We are doing it, we are NNPC; we are leading this. Of course, we charge tariffs, not corporate social responsibility (CSR), but we are leading this so that we can deliver this.
“And I can tell you that within the next six months, you will see the changes that will happen. For instance, for those of us who are aware of the OB3 project, one element stopped us; we couldn’t cross the River Niger, a pipeline of 2.7 kilometers, so we couldn’t do it for 12 years. So it’s not an impossible activity, but it didn’t happen.
“And I can tell you, we are, for the first time, we have crossed the one kilometer line on the river crossing, you all know that the rest part of it is a straight line. We don’t see any obstacle stopping us from crossing the river Niger,” he said.
Expressing the confidence this would happen, he said once that is done it would introduce over 2 billion scope of gas. “Every one of us, I can see many of you here, waiting for the pipeline to work so that they can put money into upstream gas, or even non-Associated gas (NAG), adding that nobody will do it except they see that.
Kyari said the independent companies, the Nigerian partners, would contribute to dome gas, but adding that there must be an evacuation mechanism. “And we provide this, and as we are doing this, we are also not waiting for anyone. We are deepening domestic gas utilisation, powering the compressed natural gas (CNG) initiative of President Tinubu so that Nigerians could have cheap automobile fuel.
“I can tell you, in two days’ time, we are going to commission 12 stations in partnership with NIPCO, most of the stations are ours, so that in Lagos and Abuja, as we are expanding to other states, so that we can quickly provide the cheap automobile fuel, which is CNG. And this will lead, not just that we have to lead, but because this is business also,” he said.
Kyari said the country’s short-term and even long-term prosperity depended on what it did in the energy sector, adding it’s not just about creating energy.
He said: “We are creating resources that are required to develop this country, create the prosperity of today, so that the prosperity of tomorrow would also be realistic. And that is why it is not misplaced for our country to say that the survival, short-term survival of the economy of this country depends on all of us, adding it’s an easy way of doing it.”
Kyari assured that there are no issues anymore with whatever that is required to bring the incremental in terms of providing new assets, closing divestments, and also issues around weak sharing, removing the obstacles in the contracting process.
“We will act collectively and shortly so that we can achieve those outcomes, otherwise, we’ll not be in business, we’ll be talking, we don’t want to talk, we don’t want to debate, the debate has ended, and you need to join us,” Kyari said.
Since its inception in 2019, Cascador has made significant strides in supporting local business growth, providing mentorship, education, and a robust support network to foster the next generation of business leaders in Nigeria.
The 2024 Cascador program, scheduled to be held from November 4-8, 2024, at Lagos Business School, offers African entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to grow their businesses and enhance their leadership skills through direct collaboration with successful American and Nigerian entrepreneurs.
“There’s so much good work to be done here in Lagos,” said Dave DeLucia, Cascador Co-Founder, in a chat with newsmen in Lagos. “Our participants benefit from being part of a local network that supports and nurtures their growth.”
Cascador’s program has drawn participants from across Nigeria, including major cities like Lagos, Kaduna, and Abuja, and has welcomed applicants from other African nations such as Lesotho, Kenya, and Ghana. However, its primary focus remains on Nigeria to build a strong, supportive community within the country.
The program targets mid-stage entrepreneurs who have been in operation for at least two years and generate annual sales revenue exceeding ₦50,000,000.
It is highly selective, accepting only 10 fellows each year. This year, Cascador introduces a personal development stipend of $5,000 USD for each participant. Applications for the 2024 cohort close on June 30, 2024.
Cascador’s approach includes a five-day intensive workshop followed by six months of mentorship, aiming to help entrepreneurs overcome the significant challenges of starting and running a business in Nigeria. For example, a microfinance bank in Kaduna tripled its client base from 4,000 to 15,000 women traders with Cascador’s guidance.
“We invest in people who are coachable and show a strong desire to learn and grow,” DeLucia added. “Our participants are not only open to mentorship but also demonstrate proven market traction and clarity of thought.”
“The impact of Cascador extends beyond individual businesses to the broader Nigerian economy. By supporting mid-sized, high-potential growth companies that often lack adequate resources, Cascador fills a critical gap in the business community” said Blessing Mene, Cascador Co-Founder.
The initiative prioritizes businesses that create jobs, improve livelihoods, and contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.
“Our goal is not to make money but to make an impact,” said Trish Thomas, Cascador Faculty. “We provide education and support, training entrepreneurs to raise money and connecting them to equity funding, debt financing, and grants. By supporting Nigerian entrepreneurs, we aim to contribute to the country’s economic growth and development.”
As Cascador continues to nurture Nigerian business leaders, its success stories, including alumni collectively raising over $55M USD in capital, highlight the power of mentorship and community support in driving entrepreneurial success.
“Our mission is to make a positive impact by helping entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in their communities,” DeLucia explained.
Against the backdrop of increased cost of imported building materials, following fluctuations in the exchange rate, experts in the construction industry have called on the government to intervene in form of tax breaks and subsidies for manufacturers, to encourage the local production of building materials, and reduce reliance on foreign products, writes OKWY IROEGBE-CHIKEZIE
Curiously, a new building technology developed by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) has received little or no support from the government. Reason: Some stakeholders say it is incapable of reducing the high cost of building materials such as cement, rods, roofing tiles, doors and windows.
The industry, like any other, is facing one of its worst moments as a result of the fuel subsidy removal and floating Naira, no thanks to the weak Naira. On the heels of that, not a few have called for alternatives to check the high cost of building materials. There have been talks to reintegrate local products into the construction market but it is not receiving the kind of attention that is needed to pull it through.
Happily, a new building technology developed by the NBRRI has aroused the interest of Nigerians. The innovation called movable house technology was unveiled in Abuja at the Science Technology expo.
But it has failed to make enough impact, especially among the middle and upper classes, because ”there is nothing classy about it” and cannot accommodate the trappings of a modern home.
NBRRI , a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST), was established on April 1, 197 to conduct integrated applied research and development into the building and construction sectors. In 1993, its mandate was expanded to include research and development into engineering materials related to the construction industry. In the NBRRI Act, the institute is required to conduct research on local building and construction materials to determine the most effective and economic methods of their utilisation.
Others are architectural designs of buildings to suit the country’s climate, especially thermal comfort and humidity.
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Samson Duna, said the institute has reached a stage where it can respond rapidly to needs within a very short time. He said: “Basically, it’s been the problem of commercialisation. We fabricate the machines but we’ve reached agreement with a fabricator where, depending on the number of machines that are required, we can meet within one, two months, supply as many as 20 machines.
“You can engage them on a very massive application. You produce on site massively for construction; the technology affords as much as 40 per cent savings from the conventional works.”
Support for soil materials
Experts have argued that the use of soil materials for sustainable construction in developing countries is a viable alternative to concrete-based materials considering the high cost of building materials due to the weak economy. Mud homes are pocket-friendly, which is another reason some are advocating their adoption in the country.
With mud homes, the costs of laying, plastering, and painting are saved.There is also no need for aesthetic maintenance, thereby reducing environmental degradation and material costs.
Other benefits of clay bricks include being a natural fire retardant/fire resistant (ability to withstand fires longer than any standard building material), a fantastic sound insulator (reduces the impact of internal and external noises around homes), very durable, weatherproof they can absorb water and rapidly release back to into the air than conventional blocks).
They also have high compressive strength and impressive load-bearing capacities for structures.
Benefits of clay bricks
Advantages of using this technology are many. In terms of security, it is said the blocks are bullet proof and need little or no maintenance unlike the conventional houses.
“It gives a lot of options to users who want to own homes. If you want to live in a certain location in the rainy season, in another one in the dry season, you can move with your house, the technology affords as much as 40 per cent savings from conventional works
A prototype of a duplex by NBRRI
“But we also need to sensitise particularly the middle and low level income groups to know that here’s a cheap option,” he said.
However, there are modern methods of construction that are innovative and are used by professionals. From comprehensive digital design to prefabricated building components, modern construction methods help lower costs and reduce time while driving sustainability.
Needed: ‘more research’
Immediate Past President, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Olayemi Shonubi, urged the Federal Government to encourage research into the refurbishment of mud houses.
He suggested that the mud could be moulded into bricks for building of modern houses, suggesting that brick blocks could be designed into interlocking shape so that there would be no need for cement to bind the bricks.
Former President, Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB), Kunle Awobodu said NIBRRI developed a laterite solution with minor cement addition but that it doesn’t meet the class standards of the middle and upper classes.
In an interview, Awobodu argued that mud homes are primitive and cannot meet the ego of the average 21st-century purchaser, hence the low investment.
He said: “Mud homes are considered primitive and the ego of many potential homeowners has not encouraged the use of clay to build homes. There is also a scarcity of lateral products and clay soil that could be used for mud houses.”
He maintained that the traditional technology is no longer popular because modern construction materials have superior characteristics that dwarf the local materials in terms of quality, sustainability and capacity to withstand the wear and tear and still remain durable.
“It is time for us to use that knowledge and expertise to address our challenges by providing homegrown solutions. It may not be immediately comparable but when we start, it will be improved upon until we attain perfection.
“Sourcing for these materials causes a lot of damage to the environment and that is why some of these locations to source for raw materials have been closed down.”
The former president further charged the institute to come up with implementable policies, stressing that the dearth of artisans had affected the industry as masons do not have the skills to build with mud.
He said: “The modern building artisans and bricklayers lack that training. You would not get workers who will be able to handle the process. They do not have the dexterity or the skills to build mud or mud homes.Those who had the skill are either in the remote villages or are dead.
Those pushing for mud homes also claimed they are eco-friendly with a natural cooling effect. They believe fewer chemicals are used in the construction of mud buildings.
‘Made-in-Nigeria home achievable’
However, the President, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Aliyu Wamakko, in a statement explained a made-in-Nigeria home could be achieved.
He said what we need to do is to encourage those who produce materials to support them to self-sufficiency. “If we put our minds together on this, we will solve a lot of issues,” he added.
Also, another developer, who specialises in building mud homes, Akinola Ajibola, stated that contrary to the popular view, clay bricks are not necessarily cheaper due to their unavailability.
According to him, the capacity of two functional clay industries cannot cater for the housing demand of over 200 million citizens.
Ajibola, who is the Head of Project Development, Rural Homes Limited, said: “Clay bricks for the construction of affordable homes are not necessarily cheaper in the short term in Nigeria. This is largely down to the availability of the raw material needed.
“There are two widely known and relatively functioning clay brick manufacturing factories servicing the entire country, the Ire Clay in Ire-Ekiti and the Shelter Clay in Minna, Niger State.
“You will agree this is not enough to cater for the brick housing demands of a country of a population of over 200 million citizens and with a housing deficit of over 25 million homes.”
A study in 2020 showed that about 76 per cent of mud houses fail in the form of wall collapses during rainy season, making many homeless
Still, despite the benefits of mud homes, Ajibola explained that for clay bricks to be adopted as an alternative materials of construction, more investors are required in their manufacturing with cheaper and more fuel to power the process.
Chairman, Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Samson Opaluwah, blamed poor government’s policies for the slow inflow of investment into the sector as well as their impactive implementation.
He said: “Investment in housing is still very high. Many of the policies have not been driven by professionals in the industry and that has hindered the inflow of investment into the sector as well as their impactive implementation. Access to land is also a huge demotivation for investors.”
Explaining other challenges with mud buildings, the CORBON chairman said the traditional method was no longer popular due to contemporary building innovations as buyers prefer to invest in mansions built with imported materials.
According to him, mud is not a stable material and can change periodically due to the moisture content, incapable of handling tensile stresses and has a lot of shortcomings.
He further stated that traditional housing production technologies could be used to address critical housing shortages in rural communities and urban slums.
“There is an urgent need to refocus attention on our traditional housing production technology as a vehicle for addressing critical housing shortages in the rural communities and urban slums.
“However, it is possible for our country to promote the usage of this readily available material. I am aware that some of our universities have carried out studies in this area successfully.The outcomes will, however, remain on the shelves in the libraries until investors encouraged by government policies utilise them to solve our national housing challenge,” he said.
Sir: Lagos recorded its first building collapse in year 2024 as members of Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) were embarking on a Walk Against Building Collapse in Lagos. Worrisome coincidence!
The four – storey building (having a ground floor and three suspended floors) under renovation located at No 1, Isale Gangan Street, Lagos Island fortuitously collapsed while members of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria were holding REDAN 2024 Annual General Meeting at Ikeja in Lagos.
It could be very disturbing when a well-planned sensitisation walk scheduled for 8 am on Thursday, February 22, was welcomed by torrential rain in the dry season. Act of God!
“Can this walk hold again with this rain?” A message (SMS) was received from the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Abiodun Olumide, who was to join the BCPG members for the Walk Against Building Collapse.
Surprisingly, the undaunted, resolute BCPG members from different BCPG Cells in Lagos State defied the rain and assembled at the take-off point, Ikeja Local Government Headquarters.
As the intensity of the rain reduced considerably, the BCPG gathering, mostly constituted by professionals in the built environment and building artisans embarked on the long walk that would terminate at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja. The messages on the banners were to sensitise the public on the need to adhere to standard building construction in order to prevent building collapse.
The walk was also aimed at drawing the attention of the government to the astronomical rise in the prices of building materials that could tempt developers to compromise on standards.
Suddenly, the sad news of building collapse during the sensitisation walk against building collapse doused the enthusiasm of BCPG members from BCPG Lagos Island Cell. That area has recorded the highest rate of building collapse in Lagos State, especially during rainy season.
Is there any scientifically proved correlation between rain and building collapse? A developer that was operating on the Lagos Island once confessed that rain usually deprived him of sound sleep. Should rain be held responsible for the incessant collapse of buildings in a coastal region like Lagos?
Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) buildings are the most affected by rain in Lagos. Why?
Contrary to the belief that rain is an agent of destruction, rain assists in the determination of building stability. A building that can withstand heavy rains will surely stand the test of time. Rain, therefore, helps subject the quality of materials and workmanship used in a building to unbiased verification.
Lessons learnt from the building that collapsed in the rain:
(1.) The Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, especially the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) still has a lot to do in identifying weak buildings and preventing construction of substandard buildings.
(2.) Building Collapse Prevention Guild, as a pressure group, should intensify its advocacy against the menace of building collapse, and address, professionally, causes of building collapse.
(3.) As reiterated at the REDAN 2024 AGM, the need to bring developers together in an association that promotes standard building construction will definitely add value to investment in the Nigerian housing sector.
The latest collapsed building at Isale Gangan, Lagos Island occupies the 595th position in the updated BCPG Record of collapsed buildings in Nigeria. The number of recorded buildings that collapsed in Lagos State since 1974 is now 341, which is 57.3 per cent of the national figure.
Building collapse, mostly, is as a result of human error that could have been prevented. The latest collapsed building at Isale Gangan is a harbinger of metamorphosed inadequacies that plague implementation of building regulations in Lagos State.
The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) has asked President Bola Tinubu to implement Executive Order 5 to arrest the rising cost of building materials, affecting the growth of the construction sector.
President, Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Mobolaji Adeniyi, stated this at a press conference where it raised concerns on the prevailing situation
The institute noted that there is an urgent need for an executive order to arrest the situation while discouraging unnecessary imports.
“We encourage all government agencies to curb its excessive appetite for foreign goods and services. We specifically request that the “Presidential Executive Order for Planning and Execution of Projects, Promotion of Nigerian Content in Contracts, and Science, Engineering and Technology, (Executive Order 5) which was signed into law on February 2, 2018 be duly implemented.
“As a matter of urgency, we should prioritise the use of local materials in project design and delivery. As professionals, we owe our country the onerous duty of providing solutions to seemingly daunting technical challenges. This should be our primary calling as professionals in this era of economic gloom. The challenges may seem very daunting but not insurmountable,” he added.
Also, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria ( REDAN) have lent their voice to the current high cost of building materials by rejecting the astronomical increase in the price of cement and others.
REDAN president, Dr. Aliyu Wamakko, said the reduction was not good for the economy.
He said, “I do not think that is good for the economy of this country because cement constitutes the primary product for any building construction to be done.
He recalled that BUA Cement CEO, Abdul Samad Rabiu, promised Nigerians that by January 1, 2024, cement price would be slashed to N3,500, so what is the problem.
According to him, most of the components of cement are sourced locally.
“Why should the price be reduced to N8,000? Anything above N5,000 is not beneficial for the economy and it would not bring any positive impact towards the reduction in the 28 million housing deficit,” he added.
Reacting to the same matter, an architect, Olufemi Shodunke in his remarks observed that with the astronomical increases in the costs of building materials occasioned by steeply depreciation of Naira there will be hyper inflationary trends in the economy.
He also noted what he called, ever increasing Government’s levies for buildings development related activities which according to him will lead for more sharp practices by Developers and Contractors during construction stages of Buildings.
According to him Cement prices had surpassed N10,000 per bag up from N5,000 while Reinforcement Bars are sold for an average of N1.0 million per tonne from erstwhile N450,000, etc.
He said: “There is no doubt that these factors will add to already known list of causes of Building Collapses in Lagos State in particular and across the country in general”.
“The only plausible way for those in Authorities such as Lagos State Building Control Agency ( LASBCA), saddled with monitoring Building Construction sites and enforcing the extant Regulations, Codes and Standards is to ensure that every Building Construction Site is supervised by relevant qualified Professionals such as Architects and Engineers (Structural, etc) as designed and specified, while production management is to be superintended by Builders in the least”.
This is, especially true for those buildings being built in those areas with “troubled lands” such as Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki, Gbagada/Mende belt, etc. He suggested that for sanity in the sector as a result of the current hike in prices the government must ensure that all mid and high rise buildings must be subjected to having these qualified professionals supervising them. Others according to him is that project boards with clearly written particulars of these professionals must be displayed at these sites.
It’s about time for our Professional Regulatory Bodies and Professional Associations too to start complementing States’ Development Control Agencies by helping in verifying whether their members were being truly engaged at these Sites he added.
ational President Association of Blockmakers of Nigeria, (NABMON), Prince Adesegun Banjoko also suggested that stakeholders in the sector should be summoned by the National Assembly to a public hearing session where issues regarding the quality and prices of building materials with problems associated can be freely discussed and solution points arrived at.
