…as NBCC list substandard materials
By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

Professionals and stakeholders in the built industry have identified attitude, among other reasons for increased building collapse in the country.

They spoke at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, NBCC Construction and Real Estate Outlook Event 2024 with the theme: “Stemming the Tide of Building Collapse Incidents; From Rhetoric to Action”, held in Lagos.
In his remark, General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA Arc. Gbolahan Oki, said incidences of collapse in the country have to with attitude and not materials.

Oki said: “Collapse that have been going on in the country doesn’t necessarily have to do with materials, it has to do with our attitude, extreme attitude, attitude in all ramification. “Professionals would have jobs that they hardly spend 20 to 30 minutes each site, leaving the remaining jobs to artisans. We need professionals in the built industry to come together and form a team. Architect; structural engineers and others should come together”, he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, President and Chairman of Council, NBCC Mr. Ray Atelly, said that the theme was apt as it has given concern to a lot of Nigerians.

He said that there was a need to look into the materials coming into the country and the reinforcement.

Atelly said: “Our regulators should ensure substandard iron rods at the port do not come in. it is not enough to tell people not to use it but do not let it come in. If we want a better Nigeria it has to start from us, it is not just about the leaders but the followers as well.

“We would see change if everyone involved do what is right through concerted effort and before you know it the incidences would reduce. Developers’ who do not want to spend or buy the right materials blame institutions when things go wrong forgetting that they passed through the enablers to achieve their aim.

“Technology is not enough, if we bring in technology, how to solve it is the problem because it is man who will be the anchor of the process and if man who will be the anchor of the process fails to see that his role is very important in the process, he will continue with the old system and buildings would continue to collapse and Nigerians would continue to die.

This country is long depressed, Nigeria is the building collapse capital of Africa; the frequency of occurrence is way too much because we cut corners and in cutting corners everybody is involved.

In his keynote, Chairman/Chief Executive of Arup Nigeria, Engr. Kunle Adebajo, said proactive action was necessary to address the incidences, adding that regular inspection, professional qualification and collaboration was also very important

Adebajo said “The numbers of things that can go wrong in a building are huge, sometimes you may use all you are supposed to use but the materials are inadequate, they are inferior. There is a need for collaboration among everyone involved in building to mitigate the incidences of collapse, no one person should work in isolation.”