By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
An Estate Surveyor and Valuer, ESV Onyechere Uche, has said building collapse in Nigeria is not only an engineering failure but a challenge that begins with the entire development process, from land acquisition to facility management.
Uche, who stated this in Abuja, said building collapse had become recurrent in several cities, particularly Abuja and Lagos, describing it as a major concern for Estate Surveyors and Valuers.
He attributed the incidents to substandard building materials, quack professionals, failure to conduct soil tests, faulty foundation designs, illegal conversions, overloading, poor supervision, professional shortcuts, greed and ignorance among landlords and developers.
Other factors, he said, include ageing buildings, poor maintenance, flooding, erosion, blocked drainage systems and weak enforcement by development control authorities.
To prevent further collapses, Uche called for stronger professional and regulatory measures in the construction and property development sectors.
He recommended compulsory involvement of relevant professionals in building approvals, empowerment of authorities to seal illegal construction sites, and mandatory soil tests and Environmental Impact Assessment reports for all building projects.
He also advocated a digital building permit system and insurance coverage for buildings under construction, in line with the Building Insurance Act.
Uche urged Development Control authorities and other relevant agencies to conduct periodic structural audits and prosecute developers and officials who violate building regulations.
He stressed that developers and landlords must budget adequately for their projects.
“It is very important for developers and landlords to hire professionals for their projects, carry out feasibility and viability appraisals by qualified Estate Valuers and demand test certificates for steel and cement cmponents.
“It is so imperative that developers do not add extra layers of floors without proper audit,” he said.
He advised prospective buyers and tenants to demand approved building plans, soil test results, structural details and, where possible, building insurance policies before purchasing or leasing properties.
They should also engage qualified Estate Surveyors to inspect properties for cracks, differential settlement and dampness.
Uche urged property owners and occupants to report cracks, tilting or exposed reinforcement to agencies such as Development Control, NEMA and NIESV.
He identified early warning signs of possible collapse as diagonal cracks on walls and columns, particularly 45-degree cracks; peeling or cracked concrete cover; tilting buildings or sinking floors; water emerging from foundations; and doors or windows that no longer close properly.
He said many buildings that eventually collapsed had displayed warning signs weeks or months earlier.
“Our practices have shown that nine out of 10 building collapses gave warning signs two weeks to six months before collapse. The people ignored them because the rent was cheap,” he said.
Uche maintained that building collapse was preventable and resulted from human actions rather than natural causes.
“Building collapse is a 100 per cent avoidable disaster. It is not a natural disaster. It is a man-made disaster, carried by greed, ignorance and regulatory failure. We can always save the situation,” he stated.
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