Building Collapse in Nigeria, A dividend of Corruption.
Human beings’ basic needs, according to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, are threefold: food, clothing, and shelter. The majority of people, rich or poor, seek to establish or own their own homes or businesses. In truth, in Nigeria, wealth is measured not just in terms of cash on hand or in the bank, but also in terms of houses and other assets. As a result, owning homes in cities and towns around the country is considered very successful and wealthy. Houses or buildings that collapse like a pack of cards, killing or maiming their residents, unfortunately, become a topic of concern.
On the night of May 1, 2022, another building in Lagos collapsed for the umpteenth time. It happened on Ibadan Street in the “State of Aquatic Splendour’s” Ebute Metta neighborhood. May we not sleep to death. According to news accounts, the structure, which had been designated for demolition when it was revealed to be in poor condition, gave way at 10:30 p.m., when many of its tenants were already sleeping. It’s the end of another dream for eight people who were confirmed dead on Monday night. Imagine, for a moment, that some of them, who are Muslims, had high hopes of celebrating Eid el Fitr on Monday, but instead of enjoying Sallah, they have become mortuary residents.
It is not the first time that such a catastrophe has occurred in Nigeria, or anywhere else in the globe. It won’t be the last. It would remain a repeating decimal as long as malpractice and harsh practices in Nigeria’s construction industry are not curtailed. Building collapse can be caused by a number of factors, including a lack of construction plans, a weak foundation, the use of poor and false building materials, incompetent workers, incorrect building design, non-compliance with building rules, and building on flood plains, among others. Bribery and corruption, in my opinion, are also important factors in the constant collapse of buildings.
Building regulatory bodies and, indeed, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development can be found in all of Nigeria’s states, including the Federal Capital Territory. Landowners are required to get a Certificate of Occupancy and authorized construction designs before constructing any structures. Unfortunately, many landowners begin construction without approved designs due to bureaucratic obstacles in obtaining the necessary approvals. Property owners bribe government officials to allow them to continue building when regulatory agencies visit construction sites and urge workers to halt working.
When such structures are targeted for removal, more payments are offered to prevent the demolition. It’s a closely guarded secret. While the “Stop Work” symbol cannot be removed once money has been exchanged, the property owner is free to continue working without being harassed. There are numerous such structures cluttering my neighborhood in Abuja, where I live.
Property owners now have to deal with building contractors after sifting through authorities from the Housing Ministry and regulatory organizations. Because of omission or commission, some of these contractors wind up providing bad work. Because he or she does not have a lot of money, the landowners may urge the contractor to manage the building materials.
As a result, the contractor follows his or her client’s instructions by not employing as many materials as is required in regular practice. In many other cases, building contractors will collect enough money to purchase sufficient genuine materials, but will instead purchase inferior woods, irons, pipes, cables, wash hand basins, toilet seats, sockets, steels, blocks, roofing sheets, and other building supplies out of self-interest. All in the name of maximizing profit on the construction project. Due to the inferior products used in the construction of the estate, I once rented an apartment in Abuja where one could drill a hole in the wall with one’s fingers.
Building Collapse in Nigeria, A dividend of Corruption.
Another type of nefarious conduct that leads to building collapse in Nigeria is the use of explosives. This is related to property developers who obtain the necessary licenses to construct three-story structures but end up constructing seven on the allotted plot of land. The truth is that the foundation required for a three-story structure differs from that required for a seven-story structure. In another case, many abandoned structures are worked on and completed years after work on them ceased, despite the fact that no stress tests have been conducted on them. As a result, they collapse like children’s sandcastles either while under construction or shortly after completion.
Returning to the story of the Ebute Metta building collapse. Ibrahim Farinloye, the Acting Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, told reporters that the collapsed structure had been marked for demolition before it collapsed, and that another three-story building on Lagos Street, about 200 meters away from the Ibadan Street incident, had shown signs of distress, with parts throwing pebbles and falling off. The structure had also been designated as distressed, but the residents were out of control. Officers from the Lagos State Buildings Control Agency, however, re-sealed the structure and removed the inhabitants. This raises the question of enforcement. Why should it take eons after a building has been marked for demolition as a consequence of distress before such buildings are demolished in a controlled manner if the officials of the LSBCA have not been compromised?
Many of the building collapse occurrences across the country, in my opinion, may be avoided if and only if the appropriate authorities are aware of their obligations and refuse to be compromised. There will continue to be building collapses with avoidable fatalities as long as there are government officials willing to give fake C of O and building approvals for a fee, as long as building standards can be compromised by greased palms of approving authorities, and as long as there are building contractors willing to compromise standards for their clients or milk their clients dry for super profit.
