604 Buildings Collapsed in 50 Years — BCPG
Nigeria experienced approximately 604 building collapses from 1974 to May 30, 2024, as per the latest report from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG).
The report reveals that Lagos State accounts for 57.28% of these incidents, with over 346 buildings collapsing in the last five decades.
The BCPG report highlights, “Building collapses have been a major issue in Nigeria over the years, with Lagos State being the most affected, recording 57.28% of incidents. Following Lagos, Anambra had 3.98%, Abuja 3.65%, and Oyo 3.48% of the total collapses.
“Notably, Taraba, Bayelsa, Gombe, and Yobe States reported their first building collapses in 2022. Additionally, states like Zamfara, Taraba, Yobe, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Gombe, Katsina, and Kebbi each had only one recorded collapse.
“There were no building collapses reported in 1971, 1975, and 1981. Despite the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Nigeria recorded 45 collapses, with Lagos contributing 18 of these incidents, accounting for 40% of the total.”
The report also indicates that 2022 recorded the highest number of building collapses in the country’s history.
It details, “The year 2022 saw 62 building collapses nationwide, with Lagos accounting for 20 (32%). In 2023, 52 collapses were recorded across the country, with Lagos leading with 17 incidents (33%). As of 2024, there have been 11 recorded collapses, with Lagos having 5, Anambra 3, and Kano, Niger, and Plateau 1 each.
“The first recorded building collapse in Nigeria occurred in October 1974 in Oyo State, involving a multi-storey building that collapsed due to excessive loading, killing 27 people. The tallest building collapse happened in Lagos on November 1, 2021, resulting in 52 deaths.”
On May 30, 2024, another four-story building collapsed on Lagos Island, trapping an unknown number of people. The incident occurred at Iga Iduganran, near the Oba of Lagos’ palace.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, confirmed the development on his X account. Omotosho stated that eight people have been rescued.
“A four-storey building has collapsed at Iga Iduganran, Lagos Island. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency officials have rescued eight people from the rubble and are working to retrieve two others. The structure had been marked by LASBCA for evacuation,” Omotosho said.
This incident followed the collapse of a mosque in the Papa Ajao area of the state, which resulted in the deaths of an 11-year-old girl and three others.
The guild’s findings attribute a significant number of these collapses to professional incompetence, including excessive loading, use of substandard materials, faulty design, poor workmanship, and weak foundations.
One of the most tragic cases was the collapse of a 21-storey building on Gerrard Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, on November 1, 2021. Kunle Awobodu, the pioneer President of the BCPG, blamed weak regulations for the frequent building collapses in Lagos State.
According to Awobodu, many unqualified builders have been emboldened by the lack of enforcement and prosecution from regulatory bodies.
He noted, “I was part of the committee that created some of the agencies. There is a difference between policy formulation and implementation. We found that the staff strength of the building control agency was low compared to the vastness of Lagos’ built environment.
“Quackery is also a major problem. To prevent building collapses, developers must submit their plans for approval, including structural design checks to identify anomalies.
“Once approved, the system does not ensure that qualified professionals handle the construction, leading to projects being managed by unqualified individuals.”
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