Professionals, under the aegis of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) in the Federal Capital Territory, have pledged to improve collaboration with all the seven professionals in the building industry and government’s regulatory agencies towards reducing the rate of structural failures in the FCT.

The group attributed the increasing rate of collapses to the failure of developers and contractors in using the right measurements in materials and the right professionals, testing integrity of material mixtures, and failure to adhere to regulatory directives as salient reasons for the rate of building collapse.

Chairman of the BCPG, FCT chapter, Dr Emmanuel Agbator, in an interview with The Guardian, said the Guild plans to collaborate with regulatory authority in charge of building in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to strengthen quality of materials used in building.

Agbator, who is a town planner, gave the assurance that the BCPG would not work in silo but collaborate, co-create, co-prevent and co-produce to get things right in the sector.

According to him, the body will ensure that buildings, both public and private, do not go against the specifications of approved building plans.

“We are collaborating in terms of materials, ability and measurement because we have noticed, for instance, that there are more than one specifications for iron rods. Some will tell you that the iron rod specification is 20mm, but by the time you measure it, it is not up to that. That can compromise the foundation if the right measurement is not used. We will meet with the Minister for Housing and Urban Development to discuss a plan and how to collaborate in tackling the challenge. We will be talking to FCT executives of the seven professional bodies in the industry, and the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria,” he said.

He said that the BCPG would not renege in harnessing professionalism, and resources to give FCT environment a better living space.

“If the developers use a thorough breed of professionals, there won’t be issues of compromising standards in building development. Developers must build with the right foundation, best materials and do tests of the materials because building is both an art and a science coming together. First, you have to get the science right before the art comes into it. How many projects in Nigeria do soil tests before construction?” Agbator said.