26th September, 2013
The President of Building Collapse Preventive Guild (BCPG), Mr Kunle Awobodu, on Thursday said the guild had concluded plans to prevent incidence of building collapse in Lagos.
Awobodu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that it had resolved to move round the state to inspect and ensure that the appropriate building standards were maintained.
He said the objective of the guild was to ensure that improved building materials, standards and qualified professionals were used at construction sites.
The guild president also said that it monitored existing buildings to ensure their structural stability.
“On identification of any defective building, the guild reports such a case to the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) for necessary actions to be taken.
“The agency in most cases either carries out an integrity test on the defective building to ascertain its stability or out-rightly demolishes it,” he said.
According to him, the major cause of collapse is the use of substandard materials.
Awobodu said that the guild report sites where such substandard materials were being used to LASBCA.
He urged landlords to heed to warnings about structural defects and rectify such defects before they become major problems.
“If a developer of a high-rise building, shopping mall or market abides by the construction standards, cases of building collapse will be minimal.
“That is why we always advise land owners to involve construction professionals when developing their lands,” he said.
Awobodu said that the guild would continue to mobilise its members to monitor their residence and report any substandard construction.