Nigeria skilled 135 constructing collapse incidents and no less than 26 deaths between 2022 and 2024, with the newest incident occurring in Kubwa, a suburb within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a report by the Constructing Collapse Prevention Guild said.
BCPG is knowledgeable organisation in Nigeria that goals to forestall the collapse of buildings and promote secure and sustainable constructing practices nationwide.
The guild is made up of consultants within the fields of constructing development, structure, engineering, and different associated professions.
This current pattern of constructing collapse incidents has raised considerations in regards to the security and integrity of constructions throughout the nation.
BCPG said that the primary constructing collapse in Nigeria occurred in October 1974 in Oyo State, leading to 27 deaths. Since then, there have been quite a few incidents, together with the tallest constructing collapse in Lagos on November 1, 2021, which killed 52 individuals.
The guild said that in 2022, a file 62 constructing collapse instances have been reported nationwide, with Lagos accounting for 20 incidents. The next 12 months, 2023, noticed 52 recorded collapses, with Lagos main once more with 17 incidents.
A constructing collapse occurred on Could 30, 2024, on Lagos Island, when a four-story construction crumbled, entrapping an unknown variety of people.
As of 2024, there have been 17 recorded constructing collapse instances, with Lagos having 5, Anambra having three, and Kano, Niger, and Plateau having one every.
Investigations by the guild revealed that skilled ineptitude, together with extreme loading, use of substandard supplies, defective design, poor workmanship, and weak basis, contributed considerably to the collapses.
The frequent incidence of constructing collapse instances in Nigeria has raised considerations in regards to the want for stricter enforcement of constructing codes and rules to forestall such incidents and shield lives.
The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria has referred to as for sanctions on builders accountable for the current collapse of buildings in Abuja, following three collapses in three days.
Chairman of the Council, Dr Samson Opaluwah, blamed authorities negligence in implementing legal guidelines and rules and demanded thorough investigations and punishment of culprits.
He mentioned, “This collapse, sadly, has continued to occur, particularly in areas that we will check with as city centres. Centres the place professionals and professionalism ought to be extolled to the very best.
“The problem we now have now could be authorities enforcement of its legal guidelines. We have to punish those that have been discovered wanting previously.
“In all of the printed stories and investigations executed by the FCT, we now have not seen any marketed punishment to these discovered wanting.”
He insisted that till measures have been put in place to punish offenders, the scenario would stay the identical.
“Each constructing that collapses has a motive why it collapsed. And if the reason being human error, that error needs to be addressed. If it was on account of negligence, poor conduct, or misbehaviour, then there ought to be punishments and sanctions. And that’s what we stand for as a council. We stand for punishing culpable people,” he said.