Lagos, Stakeholders Move To Stem Building Collapse

Worried by the frightening rate of building collapse in the Lagos metropolis, Lagos State Government met with stakeholders and community leaders to find ways to stem the incidence of collapsed buildings.

The meeting, held at the Kosofe Local Government, Ogudu, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, was attended by stakeholders, community leaders and landlords in Ikosi-Isheri and Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs to chart a new way forward in curbing the collapse of structures.

The theme of the stakeholders’ meeting was: Role of Stakeholders in the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2010.

The meeting is to afford stakeholders the opportunity to understand their duties in the implementation of the new law.

Acting General Manager, Lagos State Physical Planning and Development Authority, LASPPDA, Bola Adefihan said that the meeting was in keeping with the norm that “effective implementation of physical planning law requires agreements and coordinated actions by a wide variety of actors from the public, private and community actors.’’

He said the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2010 was promulgated in July 2010 by Governor Babatunde Fashola, and it is aimed at achieving zero tolerance for incidents of collapsed buildings, illegal development and non-conforming developments among others, with a view to ensuring better physical environment for sustainable development.

“Sustainable physical development requires bottom-up approach and broad-based active participation of all, whose interests are affected and where cooperation is necessary for successful implementation of the existing laws and regulations.

“The need to involve stakeholders emanated from the established fact that no law, particularly, physical planning law, can achieve much result without the participation of those whose stakes are involved and affected,” he said.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olutoyin Ayinde said the state would commence the implementation of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2010 in the first quarter of 2012.

He added that the state government, having created sufficient awareness about the law was looking into its details with a view to implementing it to the letter, adding that government would create more enlightenment about the law for stakeholders to understand its implementation.

The commissioner urged stakeholders and community members in Kosofe, Agboyi –Ketu and Ikosi–Isheri to collaborate with the state government in stemming the tide of building collapse and better town planning.