BUILDING COLLAPSE IN NIGERIA: LAGOS TRAGEDIES IN FOCUS 

Did you know that no fewer than 84 persons have lost their lives in 18 building collapses in Lagos alone in the last two years (2020 – 2022) and that between 2011 and 2022, no fewer than 129 buildings have collapsed in Lagos?

On November 1, 2021, a 21-storey building collapsed on Gerrard Road in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State, killing 46 persons, including the developer of the building, Femi Osibona, while leaving 15 survivors in critical pain. The tragedy was the highest ever recorded that year in a series of building collapses. 

According to report, the owner of the building under construction in Ikoyi was given approval to construct only 15 floors, but raised the structure to 21 floors. Here are a list of building collapses recorded (Lagos only) between the years 2020 — 2022:

▪️September 10, 2020

A storey building partially collapsed at No 26, Afolabi Alasia Street, Gaskiya Road, Ijora-Badia in Lagos State, as a result of lack of maintenance. No life was lost.

▪️September 19, 2020

A three-storey edifice of a private school, Excel College, in Ejigbo, collapsed. Fortunately, schools were not in session as the incident occurred two days before the reopening of secondary and private schools in the state.

▪️October 11, 2020

A three-storey building that was still under construction caved in on Lagos Island. Four persons lost their lives, while eight others sustained various degrees of injuries.

▪️May 4, 2021

A bungalow in the Mounted Troop Police Barracks in Ikeja partially collapsed, killing one person, broke the arm of the victim's sister. It was reported that they were sleeping in their one room apartment in the barracks when the incident occurred.

▪️July 8, 2021

A three-storey building collapsed at No. 19, Church Street, off Adeniji Adele Street, Lagos Island, claiming the life of a five-year-old. According to report, the building suddenly caved in when some of the occupants, including the deceased child, were already asleep.

▪️July 20, 2021

A two-storey building under construction at 77, Tapa Road, Oke-Ojo, Isawo in Ikorodu, Lagos State collapsed, killing the landlord, who died in the rubbles of his house as the structure came down.

▪️November 1, 2021

A 21-storey building collapsed on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, killing 46 persons, including the developer of the building, Femi Osibona. According to the report, the owner of the building under construction in Ikoyi, was given approval to construct only 15 floors, but raised the structure to 21 floors. Barely 24 hours after that incident, a two-storey edifice under construction at Osapa London area of Lekki partially caved in following a heavy rainfall.

▪️November 17, 2021

A two-storey building under construction around Magbon in the Badagry area of Lagos, collapsed, killing four construction workers. However, emergency responders, including members of the community, rescued five other survivors, who sustained varying degrees of injury and were rushed to hospital.

▪️February 12, 2022

A three-storey building under construction at Akanbi Crescent, in the Yaba area of Lagos, collapsed, killing five people in the process.

▪️April 24, 2022

The Deeper Life Bible Church auditorium located in Iragbo community in Badagry, collapsed during the church service after a heavy rainfall, leaving six people with serious injuries.

▪️May 1, 2022

Disaster struck again on Workers Day, on Ibadan Street, Ebute-Metta area, when 10 tenants lost their lives after a three-storey building collapsed. About 24 persons were also rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building with various degrees of injuries while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

▪️May 7, 2022

A two-storey building collapsed on Chris Igadi Street, opposite Kilimanjaro, off Ago Palace Way. According to report, nobody was trapped as all the tenants evacuated the area when they observed crumpling signs two hours before the incident.

▪️May 21, 2022

A three storey building under construction at Alayaki Lane, Lagos Island, collapsed during a downpour, killing four persons while five others sustained various injuries. It was learnt that the building was initially a bungalow inherited by family members and awarded to a developer who was converting it into a three-storey structure.

▪️July 1, 2022

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in a three-storey building under construction at Mushin area of Lagos, also caved in at about 6.30 pm.

▪️July 13, 2022

The Christ Divine Apostolic Church, at Oke Arin Street, Ilupeju, Palmgroove area of Lagos, collapsed in the early hours of the day. It was gathered that the building had been distressed for almost a year, giving signs of collapse, but the landlord who inherited the property from his late father and founder of the church was only concerned with collecting rents.

▪️August 21, 2022

A tank scaffolding of a two-storey building under renovation at Lady-Lark, Bariga, Lagos State, came down on a bungalow and claimed the lives of two boys; a 13-year-old and a 27-year-old, while their mother and a 30-year-old survived the incident.

▪️September 4, 2022

A seven-storey building under construction on Oba Idowu Oniru Street, Lagos State, came down at 3:00 am on Sunday, and claimed the lives of six persons.

The latest data from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild ( BCPG), has shown that no fewer than two cases of building collapse occurred between January and November 1, 2022. The data by BCPG show that between 2022 and 2011, 129 buildings collapsed in Lagos State. These are the figures: 20 incidents recorded in 2022; 13 in 2021; 20 in 2020; 17 in 2019; 1 in 2018; 4 in 2017; 2 in 2016; 10 in 2015; 7 in 2014; 16 in 2013; 5 in 2012 and 14 cases in 2011, respectively.

Sources:

https://tribuneonlineng.com/how-to-prevent-building-collapse-through-technology-experts/

https://punchng.com/building-collapse-84-lagosians-killed-in-two-years/