By Dayo Ayeyemi

Copyright tribuneonlineng

Suggests way out of the woods

The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has attributed the spate of building collapse in Yaba, Lagos to the recent redevelopment of existing houses to multi-storey buildings by developers.

Besides, the group pointed out that many construction projects in the enclave were managed by quacks.

The identified redevelopments championed by developers, the group said ignited the problem of building collapse into the once safe neighbourhood.

“Yaba is considered the citadel of elites, the well-educated and law-abiding citizens.

“Cases of building collapse were few in Yaba and redevelopment of existing buildings to multi-storey buildings by developers ignited this problem, “ the group said.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Coordinator, Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) Yaba Cell, Engr. Bayo Ogunrinde, and his General Secretary, Funmi Olaitan, a builder, on Sunday.

While expressing displeasure over the indiscriminate urban renewal being championed by developers, which has thrown the community into mourning lately, the group explained that the collapse of

4-storey building under construction at 335, Borno Way, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos State at about 7 pm on Friday, 12th September, 2025, negated the efforts to protect Yaba area from the ravaging building collapse menace in the state.

In a statement entitled:” Protecting Yaba from the Menace of Building Collapse in Lagos State”, it pointed out that regeneration is an important aspect of urban development, but that developers that must be engaged should be the types that have the required funds, ready to use the appropriate consultants and construction companies.

The group pointed out the use of direct labour by developers for multi-storey building negate building construction standards.

The statement read:”Developers that should be engaged for this exercise must have sufficient funds and be ready to use consultants and construction companies possessing appropriate expertise.

“The direct labour system being adopted by some of the developers is risky for multi-storey building construction.”

The group advised that restricting the influx of uncertified developers into the Yaba area would help prevent the construction of substandard buildings.

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Recounting past efforts made to safeguard the environment, it said:

“Having foreseen the potential building collapse crisis that would likely be generated by the indiscriminate urban renewal being championed by developers, the BCPG Yaba Cell under the leadership of Engr. Friday Chukwu organised a sensitisation walk around major streets of Yaba on Thursday, 17th July, 2014.

“The walk, organised in conjunction with the Yaba Local Council Development Area under the Chairmanship of Hon. Jide Jimoh revealed that quacks were managing the construction process of some building sites visited. The identified underperforming sites were later sealed by the government.”

BCPG is advocating the conduction of Non-Destructive Test (NDT) on the emerging multi-storey buildings in Yaba in order to verify that the buildings would stand the test of time, adding that safety should be the salient priority.

As a way out of the woods, BCPG is calling on the new Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area, Hon. Bayo Adefuye to put in place a stakeholders meeting with the children and grandchildren of the original owners of the solidly constructed residential houses that are now being committed into the hands of developers for regeneration.

The inheritors, the group said should be counselled on the implications of not engaging qualified developers for the development of the family property.

“Such a landed property might be forfeited to the government in an incident of building collapse,” it said

BCPG also expressed concern over what it termed “the ongoing carting away of the collapsed building debris, the essential evidence.”

This , it said would hinder the forensic investigation of the collapsed building.

“Preservation of the debris of the collapsed Synagogue Church building within the compound enabled a scientific, analytical investigation that was carried out by the BCPG Technical Team from September, 2014 to April, 2015.

“The BCPG as an independent body of construction professionals was assigned by the Lagos State Coroner’s Inquest to conduct the investigation,” the group said

BCPG urged that relevant ministries, agencies, and departments such as the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Ministry of Housing, LASBCA, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory, Lagos State Safety Commission, Built Environment Professional Bodies, Developers Associations and Building Artisans should be involved in the stakeholders’ meeting.

The group also urged on the need to introduce sophisticated plant and equipment for rescue operations in collapsed buildings in Lagos and Nigeria in general.

“With improved technology, a rescue process should be able to bring out swiftly those trapped in the collapsed building with less damage to physical evidence required for investigations.

“It was enervating as we monitored the prolonged rescue process using the excavator, cutting machine, diggers, and shovels,” the statement read.