‘Building collapses hit 650, deaths reach 1,600 in 52 years’

Lagos State Government has moved to tighten safety compliance for high-rise buildings amid growing concerns over building failures, fire outbreaks and workplace accidents, unveiling a new stakeholder-driven framework aimed at strengthening facility management, protecting workers and reducing avoidable fatalities in the state.

The move comes amid increasing urbanisation and the proliferation of high-rise developments in the state, where experts have continued to stress the need for stricter adherence to safety standards, regular building maintenance and stronger enforcement of occupational health regulations to safeguard lives and property.

Director-General (DG) of Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), Lanre Mojola, while speaking during a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Commission, themed, “Safe Building, Protected Workforce,” said that safety considerations must become an integral part of building design, construction, operation and maintenance rather than being treated as an afterthought.

According to him, the rapid growth of Lagos State as Africa’s commercial hub requires a more proactive approach to facility management and workplace safety to reduce the incidence of fire outbreaks, structural failures and workplace accidents.

Mojola noted that many buildings deteriorate rapidly because safety and maintenance are often overlooked after construction.

He, therefore, warned that every avoidable fire outbreak, equipment failure or workplace incident serves as a reminder that safety is fundamental to protecting lives, preserving investments and sustaining public confidence.

MEANWHILE, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, has revealed that Nigeria, in 52 years, had recorded more than 650 building collapses and over 1,600 deaths, saying that in most cases, nobody was licensed and nobody was punished to serve as a deterrent.

Darma, who spoke during a stakeholders’ workshop on validation of the national housing data programme report and the regulation of the built environment in the housing sector in Abuja, said that almost every one of those buildings had a designer, a builder and an approving officer.

The LSSC DG said global best practices require facility managers to possess basic safety training and certification, stressing that effective collaboration between safety professionals and facility managers remains critical to achieving safer work environments.

“We are concerned not only about the people occupying these buildings but also about those who maintain them. The cleaners, painters, technicians and contractors working at heights or carrying out high-risk assignments must be adequately protected from accidents and fatalities,” Mojola said.

In a keynote address, Technical Adviser to the Commission, Seun Awojobi, said the forum was designed to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and develop practical solutions capable of improving construction safety, facility management and occupational health practices across the state.

Also, representatives of professional bodies, including the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), the Association of Facility Management Practitioners of Nigeria (AFMPN) and the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), called for stronger collaboration among regulators, facility managers, developers and professional bodies to improve safety compliance in the built environment.

They said that sustainable urban development could only be achieved when firms embrace globally accepted safety standards, ethical practices and regular compliance with statutory regulations.

The stakeholders also urged regulatory agencies to sustain rigorous inspections and enforcement to curb negligence that often leads to avoidable accidents, structural failures and loss of lives.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore, stressed the need to establish a credible, reliable and sustainable national housing data ecosystem that will support evidence-based policymaking, improve planning, strengthen investment decisions and enhance the monitoring and evaluation of housing interventions across the country.