Nigeria: Fall After Fall – Why Lagos Buildings Keep Collapsing

This year, on average, a building has collapsed every two weeks in Lagos, Nigeria.

While the commercial cost can be estimated, the value of the lives lost in the rubble can never be estimated.

The gaps between buildings, replaced by piles of rubble, are evidence of management incompetence and give rise to accusations that contractors are trying to cut costs by looking for savings.

There are regulations, there are maintenance schedules, there are inspectors – but the system doesn’t work.

Those responsible are never held accountable, so nothing changes.

Lagos, which one expert who spoke to the BBC called the “building collapse capital of Nigeria”, has seen at least 90 building collapses in the past 12 years, killing more than 350 people, according to the Nigerian Engineering Regulatory Council.

One of the most famous incidents occurred in 2021.

Sunday Femi was just metres away in the upmarket suburb of Ikoyi when a 21-storey luxury apartment block under construction collapsed, killing 42 people.

After hearing a loud bang, he was engulfed in dust.

“Like many others, I ran inside, trying to see if I could help some of the people who were trapped. Unfortunately, I knew some of those who died, and I think about that every day,” he says, reflecting on what happened almost three years ago.

A beverage vendor was talking to several construction workers moments before they entered the building site.

He still works nearby, and conversations among locals often turn to these events and their possible causes.

A metal screen protects the area from prying eyes, but piles of broken concrete can still be seen through the gaps in the gate.

Two menacing-looking security guards knocked on the entrance to the ill-fated complex and opened the door, saying they had instructions not to allow anyone except state government officials into the premises.

The official investigation into the collapse was also closed to the public when the scene was closed. The case has been in the hands of the state governor since he was given the authority in 2022.

According to sources, after conducting an investigation, the expert panel prepared a list of recommendations, but it was not disclosed to the public.

The BBC has repeatedly written to the Lagos State government requesting the release of the recommendations and report on the Ikoyi building collapse, but none of the documents have been released.

However, the coroner spoke out and in 2022 she did not hide her opposition.

In a devastating verdict on the deaths, Chief Justice Oyetade Komolafe said the building collapse was the result of irresponsibility and negligence by government agencies that were supposed to approve and supervise the plans and construction.

Lagos’ population is growing rapidly. It is now estimated to be over 20 million.

As the city grows, so does the demand for housing and commercial real estate. Sometimes it feels like a huge construction site with activity everywhere.

Before work can begin, the plans must be approved by the Lagos State Planning and Development Permissions Agency. Inspectors from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) are then tasked with inspecting the site and checking progress at each stage of construction.

And the Nigerian Standards Organisation should ensure that only suitable construction materials reach the market.

However, in many cases procedures are not followed.

There is a sense of calm in the LASBCA offices – there is no sense of urgency about the problems or challenges facing the organization.

Spokesman Olusegun Olaoye confirmed the criticism but rejected allegations that officials were bribed to issue fake certificates, blaming a lack of resources.

“We currently have about 300 building inspectors and supervisors, but we plan to increase that number,” he says.

Experts agree that more supervisors are needed.

Muhammad Danmarya, an architect and construction expert, believes their number should be in the thousands.

“Three hundred is simply not enough for a state like Lagos. Every local government area should have at least 100 inspectors and supervisors, and Lagos has 57 such areas,” he argues.

“There is always construction going on everywhere you look, so it is important that inspections and supervision are taking place at all times.”

In the absence of such regulations statewide, some less than honest companies have gotten away with violating building codes, using substandard materials and employing poorly trained workers — three reasons cited for the high rate of collapses.

“They come here to pick us up whenever they have work for us, and they pay us when we’re done,” says worker Habu Isah, who has worked on construction sites for years.

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

However, even if violations are found as a result of the building collapse, the state construction agency will not take any legal action.

“To my knowledge, there have been no criminal cases in the past related to building collapses in Lagos,” said Mr Olaoye of LASBCA.

“I know the statistics are disturbing, but work is underway to stop this trend.”