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…Demand stricter sanctions
Concerned Nigerians have accused the government of failing to find a lasting solution to the recurring incidence of building collapse, saying weak enforcement of building regulations and inadequate supervision of construction projects continue to endanger lives and property across the country.
The stakeholders argued that preventing building collapse requires strict monitoring from the foundation stage through project completion, insisting that government agencies must enforce compliance with building codes and punish offenders to serve as a deterrent.
A former legislator in Anambra State, Mr. Anthony Anya Okafor, lamented the frequent loss of lives resulting from building failures, saying authorities have not demonstrated sufficient commitment to protecting citizens.
According to him, stricter laws and enforcement mechanisms are needed to restore sanity in the construction industry.
“I don’t know whether the Government is still taking care of lives that people will just go out of the way to flout rules and codes guiding the building industry. The government should make laws guiding the construction industry to be stricter because the sector is highly volatile with a lot of things that can either injure or kill somebody. If two or three defaulters are punished severely, then others will take note and sit up,” he said.
Also speaking, property developer Mr. Mike Ekwemalor warned that incidents of building collapse are no longer limited to major cities with high-rise structures.
“We used to hear of building collapses happening in Lagos and Abuja because there are high-rise buildings in those areas. But when buildings start to collapse in places where there are no high-rise structures, then the government should raise the bar of regulation,” he said.
Their concerns followed the recent collapse of a three-storey commercial building at Alakija in Satellite Town, within the Oriade Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
The tragedy, which occurred a fortnight ago, claimed at least 12 lives, while 27 other victims were rescued with varying degrees of injuries.
The building, located at 3 Navy Town Road, was said to be more than 40 years old and housed several businesses, including financial institutions, engineering firms and educational centres, making it a busy commercial hub that attracted large numbers of workers and visitors daily.
A visit to the site after the incident showed that the rubble of the collapsed structure was still on the ground after emergency responders concluded rescue operations.
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Officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) had ended the rescue exercise, while curious residents continued to gather around the debris.
A neighbouring trader, Mr. Patrick Ikechukwu, who operates a gadget shop close to the collapsed building, attributed the disaster partly to the prolonged reconstruction of Navy Town Road opposite the structure.
According to him, the road project, which lasted about five years before completion in 2025, subjected the building to persistent vibrations from heavy construction equipment.
“It’s a building that was occupied by different offices. There is one occupied by EasyBuy, one by Access Bank, different offices, even engineering shops are there, and a school that teaches foreign languages. The main reason why it collapsed was due to the construction of this road, because when they were constructing the road, the engines they used usually vibrated the ground. The vibration contributed to what happened. They even cut some parts of that building,” Ikechukwu said.
However, eyewitnesses and artisans in the area claimed the building had already been declared distressed by the Lagos State Government before the incident.
According to several residents, occupants had been served an evacuation notice but allegedly ignored the directive and continued using the facility.
“The building had been marked for demolition before this moment. People occupying the building had even been served notice to vacate the building,” a resident who requested anonymity said.
The Lagos State Government confirmed the claim during an inspection of the site.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said officials had earlier identified the structure as distressed and directed occupants to vacate the premises.
“As you can see, these buildings had been marked as distressed, and people were asked to leave. Unfortunately, some residents returned after pretending to have moved out, leading to this tragic outcome,” Omotoso said.
The latest incident has renewed calls for stronger enforcement of building regulations, stricter sanctions against developers and property owners who violate safety standards, and more rigorous monitoring of construction projects to prevent avoidable disasters across the country.
