The Lagos state government is taking proactive measures to stop the incessant cases of building collapse

Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, the general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) said the agency has identified 349 buildings that are in distress

Oki directed the owners/developers of the affected buildings to conduct Non-Destructive Test (NDT) on them and carry out the recommendations given after the test

Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has identified and published the list of 349 buildings that were found to be exhibiting various signs of distress across the state.

This was disclosed in a statement published on the state government’s website on Saturday, March 25.

The general manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, said the agency took the proactive step of identifying the distressed buildings in order to curb the menace of building collapse in Nigeria’s economic capital.

According to Oki, the suspected distressed structures were identified through a thorough monitoring exercise aimed at preventing collapse and its attendant effects such as loss of lives and properties.

He further stated that all the identified structures have signs which indicate that they might not be fit for human habitation.

Topnewstv.com.ng gathers that some of the signs identified in the distressed buildings include cracks, spalling, bulging, exposed reinforcement, sinking and tilting.

LASBCA IDENTIFIES, PUBLISHES LIST OF 349 DISTRESSED BUILDINGS IN LAGOS

In furtherance to the @followlasg‘s commitment to curbing the menace of building collapse, @LasbcaA has identified and published the list of 349 buildings found to be exhibiting various signs of distress pic.twitter.com/fuTX5LiLnt

— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) March 25, 2023

Distressed building in Lagos: What owners must do

Arc. Oki said the owners of the identified distressed buildings must conduct Non-Destructive Test (NDT) on them to ascertain their structural stability.

He noted that though statutory notices were duly served on the owners/developers to carry out the NDT but the agency is yet to receive responses from the owners or developers of the structures.

The LASBCA boss the March 25 statement was a final notice given to the affected building owners to conduct the NDT and carry out the recommendations of the Test which may include re-engineering/renovation or removal as the case may be.

He noted that if removal or renovation is recommended after the test, the affected owners/developers must also obtain a Demolition Permit or Renovation Permit from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) before going ahead.

Oki gave the affected owners/developers a 90-day ultimatum to do the needful.

He warned that if the directive is not followed, LASBCA will remove the structures in the interest of public safety and in line with the regulatory provisions of the Law.

What owners of new and existing buildings in Lagos must do – LASBCA

Meanwhile, Oki also urged all owners/developers to carry out detailed maintenance checks on their properties.

According to him, owners/developers need to obtain the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation for new and existing buildings that are yet to do so in line with the building codes of the state.

There have been several cases of building collapse in Lagos. The most devastating in recent times was the collapsed 21-floor skyscraper, owned by Fourscore Heights Limited.

About 45 persons, including the firm’s Managing Director, Femi Osibona, were said to have died as a result of the incident.

A 2022 report by The Punch citing data from the Lagos State branch of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild said the state has recorded 115 incidents of building collapse within the last 10 years.

List of buildings that collapsed in Lagos state under Governor Sanwo-Olu’s watch

Meanwhile, Topnewstv.com.ng previously curated a list of some buildings that collapsed during the first term administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

One of them is an uncompleted seven-storey building that collapsed around the Oniru area of the Lekki metropolis. Six persons were trapped and four others were announced dead.

Another one is a two-storey building that collapsed in Bariga, a densely populated area in Lagos state. Two persons were confirmed dead and three others were seriously injured.