Who is to blame for recent building collapse in Lagos?

Following the collapse of a five-storey building under construction in Lekki, Lagos on Tuesday, March 8, there have been outcries for residents in the state as well the relevant authorities to sit up and address the issue in order to avoid a repeat.

The sad incident which occurred at the Horizon 1, Lekki Gardens, Ikate around 3am claimed 30 lives, while 13 more were rescued from the rubble by workers from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency.

READ ALSO: Nigerians slam Lagos government over collapsed building in Lekki

Such waste of lives and dreams can be avoided if society buckles up and focuses on key issues relating to structural development of buildings both in residential and official parts of the Lagos metropolis.

Everyone has a part to play. Several studies show that buildings cave in as a result of factors such as inefficiency on the parts of workmen as well as unprofessional attitudes towards erecting and maintaining structures in the state are some of the reasons behind building collapses.

Other factors include cases where engineers act in ignorance of basic and key building principles, inattention to details, and carelessness as well as greed in many other cases.

Some building engineers and contractors tend to believe everything is about profit-making and in a bid to cut corners they end up creating a hazard for thousands who get to occupy these properties afterwards.

These and more are issues that need to be addressed by the relevant authorities.

The regulatory bodies need to step up and act in strict conformity with set out laws and principles as they concern buildings, and every other form of construction in the state, in order to save lives and save the society the mess of having to rebuild and repair following the calamities in the wake of a building collapse.

As we look back at the recent Lekki collapse, various findings have revealed the ill-fated building had structural defects even as the government has blamed the accident on poor building materials.

Hopefully this is quickly addressed and the culprits brought to book as regards the structural defects and poor building materials.

Another thing is for residents to be sensitized towards carrying out proper maintenance of buildings so as to enable early detection of structural as well as building defects.

In addition to this, excessive loading should be discouraged in the major parts of the city.

And as much as there is a fundamental problem of population surge in the city, the people must understand the dangers of clustering in a limited residential space so that building collapses can be controlled and the effects mitigated.

READ ALSO: UPDATE: 30 dead, 13 rescued alive as 5-storey building collapses in Lagos (photos, video)

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