The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has reiterated its commitment to embracing innovation and strengthening its strategies to prevent building collapse and promote a safe and sustainable built environment in the state.

The General Manager of LASBCA, Mrs Florence Gbaye, said the agency would continue to ensure that buildings are constructed in accordance with approved plans, deepen collaboration with professionals, promote a maintenance culture and encourage building insurance to minimise investment losses in the construction sector.

Gbaye, who spoke to property and environment writers in Lagos, said LASBCA’s mandate covers the entire building lifecycle, from the design stage involving professionals and artisans to construction and post-construction activities.

She added that the agency would ensure that buildings obtain certificates of completion and fitness for habitation after construction.

“For all buildings in Lagos, every five years, owners are supposed to ensure maintenance, and so we are looking at maintenance culture. We now have Certified Accreditors who are professionals from the private sector, who are part of what LASBCA is doing.

“We are putting all these in place to ensure that there will be a sustainable and safe building environment,” Gbaye said.

She urged stakeholders, particularly developers and building owners, to embrace the culture of doing the right thing in construction, stressing that building safety requires collective responsibility.

“Developers must do things professionally. It is not about the government alone but about everybody. All buildings should have insurance. It is important, both for buildings under construction and existing buildings, to have occupiers’ liability insurance.”

On the State Electronic Physical Planning Process System (EPPPS), a digital platform recently launched by the state government, Gbaye said the system was designed to automate and streamline building permit applications and urban planning approvals.

According to her, the platform has made it easier for developers, consultants and government agencies to process applications faster, while aligning Lagos with global best practices in physical planning and development control.

Gbaye appealed to stakeholders to embrace the platform, noting that it is accessible and allows applicants to track the progress of their applications from wherever they are.

“LASBCA is not established to bring down buildings but to ensure that standards are adhered to at every stage of construction. We want to change the narrative. We only remove buildings for non-compliance with approval standards. To have a safe building environment, professionals must always be on site,” she said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria (PEWAN), Okwy Iroegwu-Chikezie, pledged the association’s commitment to promoting responsible property development and a healthy, safe built environment through accurate, ethical and solution-driven journalism.

She stressed the need to urgently address the housing, climate and safety crises confronting Nigeria’s building sector, while calling for stronger commitment from critical stakeholders to end building collapse.