Quackery, poor oversight make Nigerian buildings death traps
As building collapses become alarmingly frequent across Nigeria, experts warn that quackery, poor regulatory enforcement, and substandard materials are turning housing into a deadly gamble, ANOZIE EGOLE reports Recent data from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild show that building collapse remains a major safety challenge in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos State. Jide & Co Onasali, Read More:…
In Nigeria, building collapses have become increasingly frequent, resulting in a dangerous situation for residents, particularly in Lagos State. According to the Building Collapse Prevention Guild's 2022 report, building collapse poses a significant obstacle to sustainable development, leading to the loss of properties valued at $3.2tn over the past two decades.
The guild's January 2025 report revealed that during 2024, 640 building collapses occurred across 14 states, with Lagos State accounting for 55.15% of the incidents, followed by Abuja with 4.37%, Anambra with 4.06%, and Kano and Rivers with 3.44% and 3.28% respectively. The BCPG noted that Taraba, Bayelsa, Gombe, and Yobe states had their first recorded building collapse in 2022, while other states like Zamfara, Taraba, and Yobe have had only one recorded collapse since their inclusion in the data.
The first recorded building collapse in Nigeria took place in October 1971 in Oyo State, which resulted in the death of 27 people when a multi-storey building collapsed due to excessive loading. Building collapses continue to rise despite repeated promises of reforms. A recent incident occurred in Anambra State, where a three-storey student hostel collapsed, trapping some occupants and leaving many trapped beneath the rubble for hours before emergency responders arrived.
Written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
