Why buildings in Lagos keep collapsing

An average of one building collapses every two weeks in Nigeria’s megacity Lagos So far this year.

While the commercial costs can be calculated, the value of the lives lost under the rubble can never be calculated.

Gaps between buildings were replaced by piles of rubble, representing a failure of governance and prompting accusations that contractors were trying to cut corners to save money.

There were regulations, there were maintenance plans, there were inspectors – but the system wasn’t working.

Those responsible will never be held accountable, so nothing will change.

Lagos has been dubbed the “building collapse capital of Nigeria” by one expert who spoke to the BBC, with at least 90 buildings collapsing in the past 12 years, killing more than 350 people, according to the regulatory board. .

One of the most notorious incidents occurred in 2021.

On Sunday, a 21-storey luxury apartment building under construction collapsed in the upscale suburb of Ikoyi, just meters away from Femi, killing 42 people.

After a loud bang, he was engulfed in dust.

“Like many people, I rushed in to see if I could help some of the people who were trapped. Sadly, I knew some of the people who died and I think about it every day,” he said, recalling what happened nearly three years ago.

Beverage sellers were talking to some construction workers before they entered the building site.

He still works nearby, and local chatter often turns to the events and possible causes.

Metal panels protect the site from prying eyes, but piles of broken concrete can still be seen through gaps in the gate.

Two menacing-looking security guards knocked on the entrance to the unfortunate compound and said they had been instructed not to allow anyone, except state government officials, to enter the premises.

Just as the site is closed to the public, so is the official investigation into the collapse – which has been under the governor’s care since 2022 when he received the inquiry.

A list of recommendations has been drafted by a panel of experts following the investigation, but has not yet been made public.

The BBC has repeatedly asked Lagos state authorities to see the recommendations and reports on the Ikoyi building collapse, but none have been made public.

However, the coroner has had her say and she’s not backing down in 2022.

In a scathing verdict on the deaths, Chief Justice Oyetade Komolafe blamed the building collapse on irresponsibility and negligence on the part of government agencies that were supposed to approve and supervise planning and construction.

The population of Lagos is growing rapidly and is currently estimated to be over 20 million.

As the city grows, so does the demand for housing and commercial real estate, and sometimes it feels like a giant construction site with construction going on everywhere.

Plans require approval from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permissions Authority before work can begin. Inspectors from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) should then visit the site and check the progress of each construction phase.

The Nigerian Standards Organization should ensure that only suitable building materials enter the market.

But in many cases, these procedures are not followed.

All seemed quiet inside LASBCA’s offices—no one recognized the urgency of the issues or challenges it faced.

Spokesman Olusegun Olaoye acknowledged the criticism but dismissed allegations that officials were bribed to issue fake certificates, blaming it on a lack of resources.

“Currently we have about 300 building inspectors and supervisors, but we are looking to increase that number,” he said.

Experts agree that more regulators are needed.

Muhammad Danmarya, an architect and construction expert, said they should number in the thousands.

“Three hundred is not appropriate for a state like Lagos. There should be at least 100 inspectors and supervisors in each local government area, and there are 57 such areas in Lagos,” he opined.

“Construction is happening everywhere you look, so it’s important to always be inspecting and supervising.”

In the absence of such a system across the state, some less scrupulous companies violated building codes, used substandard materials and hired poorly trained workers — three reasons why collapses occurred so frequently.

“As long as there is work, they come here to pick us up and pay us after we complete the work,” said Habu Isah, a laborer who has worked at construction sites for many years.

“I never had any training, I just learned everything on the job.”

But even if violations are discovered after a collapse, the state’s building agency will not take any legal action.

“As far as I know, there have been no prosecutions in the past regarding building collapses in Lagos,” admitted Mr. Olaye of LASBCA.

“I know the statistics are concerning, but we’re working hard to stem the tide.”

So-called political influence is an obstacle to prosecution.

“If you are connected to people in power, even if you are the culprit in a building collapse case, nothing will happen to you,” a Lagos state politician told the BBC on condition of anonymity.

“We’ve seen it many times, some high-profile cases have to do with the structure of people at the top, and they’re still moving around freely.

“In Nigeria, when you are rich and well-connected, you can easily avoid problems.”

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has recorded 19 building collapses so far this year, with the final total likely to be the highest in the past decade.

But the lessons may still be forgotten.

The chairman of the Nigeria Engineering Regulatory Commission recently said the country lacked the capacity to properly investigate what was going on.

“We don’t have the expertise, equipment and resources to do this,” said Professor Sadiq Abubakar.

Meanwhile, construction workers and others will continue to pay the price with their lives.

Additional reporting by Andrew Gift