The Federal Government has directed key stakeholders in Nigeria’s building and construction sector to work together to address the recurring issue of building collapses that have led to tragic loss of lives.
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Eno, issued the call at the National Conference on the Building and Construction Sector in Abuja, organized by the Standards Organization of Nigeria.
He urged attendees to focus on pre-construction, construction, and post-construction regulatory frameworks, stressing the importance of public awareness and capacity-building.
In recent years, there have been an alarming number of building disasters in Nigeria.
According to the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, there have been 635 instances since 1974, with Lagos State alone responsible for 351 incidents, or 55.28 percent, of the total.
Eno reflected on this trend and emphasised that addressing building collapses is essential to protecting people and property, which is a top concern for the current administration.
Also speaking at the event, The President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Professor Sadiq Zubair Abubakar, emphasized on stricter enforcement of building standards as a necessity.
“The building industry operates under codes and standards governing every phase from design to project completion,” he noted.
He praised SON’s ongoing efforts to develop and domesticate standards in collaboration with stakeholders like the Nigerian Society of Engineers, but stressed that these standards must address Nigeria’s unique climate and conditions.
Abubakar pointed out the necessity of local codes to account for Nigeria’s sub-Saharan climate, while noting that British Standards and Eurocodes are still in use in some areas.
“While there is nothing wrong with adapting foreign standards, such adaptations must address local conditions and peculiarities,” he said, calling for a monitoring framework to ensure compliance with established standards.
The Director General of SON, Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, recognized that many industry stakeholders still have limited awareness of construction standards.
“This lack of knowledge is present not just among construction workers but also among suppliers and professionals,” he stated.
