Thirty-three persons were killed in 22 building collapse incidents across Nigeria from January to July this year, the President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Professor Sadiq Abubakar has said.
Abubakar made this known on Wednesday in Abuja at a news conference themed, ’The Incessant Spate of Building Collapse in Nigeria in Recent Times-A Call for Sustainable Collaboration by All Stakeholders.’
Abubakar said Lagos accounted for 27.27 per cent, Abuja and Anambra 18.18 per cent each, adding that Ekiti and Plateau States followed with 9.09 per cent each and Kano, Taraba and Niger states accounted for 4.55 per cent each.
He said “over 91 buildings have collapsed resulting in the death of over 354 persons in Lagos from 2012 to date.
’’Similarly in Abuja, about 30 buildings have collapsed from 1993 till date resulting in the death of more than 64 persons and injury of many.
’’The most recent occurrences of building collapse close to DMGS Onitsha, Anambra state on June 12 and that of a school (Saint Academy) in Plateau on July 13 where 22 students died and 134 injured as well as the building collapse in Kubwa, Abuja.
He said that the incidences were worrisome.
According to him, this calls for deep reflection and collaboration of all stakeholders in stemming the tide.
’’While we commiserate with all victims and families, we want to commend the efforts of all emergency and security services for their prompt response at the time.’’
According to Abubakar, the leading causes of building collapse varies from one location to the other.
He said some building collapse as a result of aging and from some investigations and researches conducted over time, use of substandard construction materials and structural failure were also responsible.
He said that other factors included: illegal change of use of buildings, illegal addition of floors, quackery, inadequate or lack of supervision and oversight.
He added other factors were faulty foundations or lack of conduct of soil/geotechnical investigation, sharp and corrupt practices amongst others
