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604 Building Collapses in 50 Years — BCPG

Nigeria has experienced approximately 604 building collapses between 1974 and May 30, 2024, according to a recent report by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG). The report highlights that Lagos State accounted for 57.28 percent of these incidents, with over 346 buildings collapsing over the past five decades.
 
The BCPG report states, "Building collapses in Nigeria have been a persistent issue, with Lagos State being the most affected, followed by Anambra with 3.98 percent, Abuja with 3.65 percent, and Oyo with 3.48 percent. "Notably, Taraba, Bayelsa, Gombe, and Yobe States recorded their first building collapses in 2022. Additionally, Zamfara, Taraba, Yobe, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Gombe, Katsina, and Kebbi each reported only one building collapse.
 
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"There were no building collapses recorded in 1971, 1975, and 1981. Despite the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Nigeria still recorded 45 building collapses, with Lagos accounting for 18 of these incidents, representing 40 percent of the total." The report also mentioned that 2022 saw the highest number of building collapses, with 62 incidents nationwide, and Lagos accounted for 20 of these, or 32 percent. In 2023, there were 52 collapses, with Lagos again leading with 17 incidents, representing 33 percent. As of 2024, there have been 11 recorded building collapses, with Lagos having 5, Anambra 3, and Kano, Niger, and Plateau each reporting 1.
 
The first recorded building collapse in Nigeria occurred in October 1974 in Oyo State, involving a multi-storey building that collapsed due to excessive loading, resulting in the death of 27 people. The tallest building collapse happened in Lagos on November 1, 2021, which tragically killed 52 people. On May 30, 2024, a four-story building collapsed on Lagos Island, trapping an unknown number of people. The incident occurred near the Oba of Lagos' palace at Iga Iduganran. Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, confirmed the incident on his X account, stating that eight people had been rescued.
 
"A four-storey building has collapsed at Iga Iduganran, Lagos Island. Lagos State Emergency Management Agency officials have rescued eight people from the rubble and are working to retrieve two others. The structure had been marked for evacuation by LASBCA," Omotosho said. This incident occurred less than a week after an 11-year-old girl and three others died when a mosque collapsed in the Papa Ajao area of the state after being struck by an excavator.
 
Niger
 
The BCPG found that professional ineptitude, including excessive loading, use of substandard materials, faulty design, poor workmanship, and weak foundations, accounted for many of the collapses. One of the most tragic incidents was the 21-storey building collapse along Gerrard Road in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State on November 1, 2021.
 
The pioneer President of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Kunle Awobodu, attributed the frequent collapses to weak regulations. Awobodu stated that many unqualified builders have been emboldened due to the lack of prosecution and conviction by regulatory bodies and government agencies regarding building collapses.
 
"I was part of the committee that created some of the agencies. There is a difference between policy formulation and implementation. One of the issues we discovered was that the staff strength of the building control agency was low compared to the vastness of the Lagos built environment.
 
"Quackery is also a major problem. To prevent frequent building collapses, developers must submit their approval plans for a rigorous approval process, including checking the structural design for anomalies.
 
"Once the approved building plans are returned to their owners, the system does not follow up to ensure that construction is handled by professionals. Consequently, construction is often carried out by individuals who merely claim to have experience in building construction."
 
 
Source: PunchNG

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