In a bid to preserve lives and property, the Lagos State government, through the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL), held a three-day retreat programme for its management staff.

Themed: ‘Implementing and Sustaining Zero Tolerance Policy on Building Collapse in Lagos State’, the programme was held in response to structural incidents, including the collapse of the four-storey building that housed a school and residents in the Ogba area of Lagos.

The forum focused on the collective duties of all relevant bodies such as Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL), alongside other stakeholders in curtailing the triggers that precipitate building collapse.

The General Manager of LSMTL, Olayinka Abdul, stated that the theme is not just a slogan, but a mandate that the body must work with, an imperative for the survival of the city of Lagos.

She added that the rapid expansion that Lagos is witnessing comes with risks of corners being cut, standards being ignored, and lives being endangered.

“Sadly, and not quite long, we watched a devastating collapse of buildings, and not only buildings, even infrastructures like roads, even in Lagos State. Families are shattered, investments lost, integrity of our noble profession is called into question.

“The zero-tolerance policy in the government is a bold stance to say enough is enough. But policies are only as strong as institutions that implement them. This retreat is designed to move us from policy rhetoric to operational reality. It is about ensuring that we must say that every material is tested and it is tested to the highest quality international standard. It is about ensuring compliance and compliance will not be seen as a bottleneck, but as only a pathway in the construction, industry in Nigeria,” she said.

She explained that LSMTL is undergoing a historic transformation under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, adding that it is moving from a reactive agency to a proactive proactive world-class regulatory body that is ISO 17025-2019 certified and accredited on best laboratory practises.

The General Manager highlighted a few milestones since June 2024 of the present administration. She said that the agency’s infrastructure has expanded. “We are currently in the advanced stage of constructing our offices and the state-of-the-art laboratory at the main headquarters. We believe this should be completed by the end of 2026. This expansion is designed to increase our throughput, reduce turnaround time for test results, and provide a conducive environment for both technical and other staff to operate effectively,” she stated.

She added that the agency has also decentralised accessibility. “Recognising that ease of doing business is crucial for compliance. We are establishing new sample collection centres across the divisions of Lagos State. So this is to help citizens of Lagos State bring up their samples for us to collect and test. We are taking our services closer to the builders, the developers, and ensuring that the distance to the nearest collection point or centres is no longer an excuse for skipping mandatory tests,” she said.

She also added that the agency has witnessed technological advancement, stating that it has procured advanced equipment to ensure a reliable system to eliminate human errors and increase precision.

The Head of Service, Olabode Agoro, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Mr Fashola Abdulrafiu Omowole, commended the General Manager of LSMTL for her exemplary leadership and charismatic qualities.

According to Agoro, the theme of the forum is apt, precise and concise. He also added that it is very critical and should not be taken with levity as it speaks directly to the safety of the people of Lagos.
He said that since the inception of the LSMTL, the agency has borne the critical responsibility of ensuring that all construction projects within the state comply with the highest standards of safety and structural integrity.

Despite this, he added that there is still more work to be done to ensure strict compliance with the laid-down standards of construction in the bid to put a total stop to incidents of building collapse in Lagos State.

“We should all bear in mind that introducing a zero-tolerance policy demands more than intention. It requires consistent enforcement of regulation, strict adherence to standards, international best practises and standards, and a culture of professionalism and integrity across all levels of project execution. It is also a solemn pledge to the residents of this resilient megacity, Lagos, who trust us to keep them safe at all times,” he stated.