Get Guardian on GoogleProfessionals from the legal sector and the building industry have tasked the federal and state governments with prioritising the effective domestication and enforcement of the National Building Code (NBC) to tackle persistent cases of building collapse.
They also called for greater accountability among architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, estate surveyors, developers and other professionals involved in the construction industry.
Vice Chairman of the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), James Sonde, led the call at a webinar to mark the fifth memorial of the collapse of the tallest building at Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, organised by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) Ikoyi-Obalende Cell, Lagos State.
He said the Federal Government should establish a clear statutory framework for the National Building Code while encouraging state governments and Houses of Assembly to domesticate and effectively implement its provisions.
Sonde said that building safety should be treated as a national priority and an essential component of protecting human life.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Making national building code enforceable to enhance safety in Nigerian built environment’, he said Nigeria needs uniform minimum building safety standards, although implementation should take into consideration the peculiarities of individual states.
He added that Nigeria must move from having a building code to ensuring compliance, enforcement and accountability, stressing that no building should become a death trap because safety standards are treated as optional.
Also, the Third Vice President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), David Majekodunmi, called for the modernisation of Nigeria’s building control system through digital technology, stronger legislation, and improved institutional coordination to prevent building collapses.
He lamented that the National Building Code had remained without the necessary legislative backing for nearly 39 years, urging the Federal Government and the National Assembly to expedite its enactment into law.
He identified weak enforcement, inconsistent state adoption of building regulations, the use of unqualified practitioners, substandard materials, poor workmanship, inadequate site supervision, corruption, and a poor maintenance culture as factors undermining building safety.
Majekodunmi, therefore, stressed the need to introduce a digital building safety passport for every building, containing records of approved designs, inspections, certifications, alterations, and periodic safety assessments.
He also advocated digital building approval systems, Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drones, remote sensing and Artificial Intelligence to improve transparency, monitoring and regulatory compliance.
Meanwhile, a member of the Lagos State Regional Investigation Panel, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Elias Agbabiaka, has warned engineers, contractors and other construction professionals against compromising safety standards under pressure from developers, cost-cutting measures and project deadlines.
Agbabiaka said that no building project is worth the avoidable loss of human life, urging professionals to prioritise competence, ethical procurement, proper documentation and accountability at every stage of construction.
