…Says it shouldn’t pose challenge to experienced engineers

By Kingsley Adegboye

Engr. (Dr.) Victor Oyenuga, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society od Engineers (NSE), and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Vasons Concept Consultants Ltd, has blamed the alarming frequency of building collapses in the country, a phenomenon that has resulted in tragic loss of lives and property partivularly in urban centres like Lagos, Abuja and PortHarcourt on widespread negligence and greed,

Dr. Oyenuga who made this disclosure in a presentation at the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), forum recently, emphasised that most of these collapsed buildings are modest structures – typically four-storey buildings – that should not challenge experienced engineers.

According to Oyenuga, a civil engineer, examples of building collapses from other countries – such as India, Pakistan, and Brazil are cited to show that while such incidents occur globally, the scale and regularity in Nigeria are particularly disturbing.

Chronicling the founding of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) in 2011, an initiative that brought together professionals from architecture, engineering, building, surveying, and planning disciplines to stem the tide of collapses, Vasons Consultants boss said the Guild has expanded across the country and now plays a key role in raising awareness and pushing for reforms.

Oyenuga who noted that at the core of safe building design, the presentation stresses two main goals: safety and economy, said achieving these depends on engaging qualified professionals, conducting soil tests, using quality materials, applying proper construction techniques, and ensuring strict supervision and quality control throughout the project lifecycle.

He outlined the key factors for structural stability, including proper design, sound material selection, accurate load calculations, and ongoing maintenance, describing common failure modes such as punching shear, bearing failure, and poor detailing—many of which stem from substandard practices and neglect during construction.

According to him, the causes of building collapses are manifold such as unqualified clients, poor design, inferior materials, shoddy workmanship, absence of supervision, and lack of proper planning or quality control.

He emphasised that collapse often happens during construction, indicating that the structure is too weak to support even its own weight, stressing that the consequences of these failures are dire as hundreds of lives are lost, enormous economic losses are recorded, expensive site clearance, legal and regulatory setbacks, and a growing public distrust in professionals and government regulators occur.

To combat this, he recommended remedies including appointing only qualified and experienced designers and contractors, practising within areas of competence and encouraging collaboration over fee competition, training artisans and enforcing material quality standards (e.g., ensuring correct steel bar diameters and strengths), making soil investigations mandatory, prohibiting unauthorized change of use in buildings without proper structural reassessment and avoiding over-reliance on software without engineering judgment.

In his conclusion, Dr. Oyenuga said building collapses can be prevented if there is societal reorientation, renewed professional integrity, and a commitment to doing things right.

He provocatively references the ancient Code of Hammurabi, which prescribes death for a builder whose structure kills its occupant, to underscore the gravity of professional responsibility.