The Federal Government has planned to inaugurate the National Building Code Advisory Committee later this month to address the issue of building collapses in the country.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this at the National Building Safety and Structural Integrity Initiative (NBSSII) organised by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in collaboration with the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos.
The programme, with the theme: “Incessant Building Collapse in Nigeria: The Need for Strict Adherence to Building Codes and Regulations,” was attended by professionals in the built environment, local council chairmen and party leaders.
The minister noted that on June 17, 2025, he also inaugurated the Ministerial Task Team Committee on Building Collapse in Nigeria with a clear mandate to investigate and address the root causes of building collapses, recommend effective enforcement and compliance strategies, and work with states, professional bodies, and development partners in implementing practical preventive measures.
He stated that the advisory committee, to be inaugurated later in August, will drive the review, updating, and implementation of the National Building Code across all states
“I am pleased to inform you that invitations to Lagos State for its nominee as well as other states are being prepared in my office to ensure broad and inclusive representation in this vital national event,” he said.
Dangiwa emphasised that the workshop was more than just an event, but part of an urgent and ongoing national conversation about the safety, resilience and sustainability of our buildings and grounds.
According to him, the safety and stability of buildings are not just technical and professional matters, they are fundamentally about human life, dignity and national development.
He added: “Every building collapse is a tragedy, not just because of the lives lost, but also because of the broken trust between government, professionals and citizens.
“Over the years, we have witnessed far too many incidents of structural failure across the country. Many of these have been traced to factors such as poor design and engineering practices, use of substandard materials, non-compliance with building codes and standards, weak regulatory enforcement and inadequate maintenance of existing structures. The economic cost of such failures is immense in terms of lives lost, properties destroyed, and investor confidence eroded.
“Under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is fully committed to ensuring that safety and structural integrity become non-negotiable principles in the Nigerian building sector,” he added.
In his remarks, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu called for a uniform national building code that is enforceable and adaptable to local content.
The governor also called for collective action and collaboration, not only as builders but as professionals in the built environment, to ensure ethical integrity while avoiding negligence, so that every building in the state is safe and livable for all.
He noted that the incidence of building collapses had drastically reduced in the state over the last year, restating the government’s commitment to addressing issues facing urban development with a proactive strategy by embarking on public awareness campaigns and reviewing the enforcement of the building code.
“We must ensure that vigilance is critical and professionalism in the Nigerian public environment is enshrined and enforced. Together, we can build not just a safer environment, but a faster and stronger environment from today going forward. And we believe that it’s only when we do this that generations coming behind us will thank us for that and ensure that we’ve done a good job,” the governor said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Office of Urban Development, Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Gbolahan Oki, stated that the current administration has consistently demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that Lagos remains a safe, well-structured, and sustainable megacity, particularly with the launch of the Certified Accreditors Programme (CAP).
Additionally, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Electronic Geographic Information System, e-GIS, and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde, said the state government was committed to a resilient city as it is putting in place measures to stem the tide of building collapses with the reintroduction of inspections of construction sites to ensure the right materials are used.
