With the confirmation by the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FCT FEMA) that two deaths were recorded while 37 other residents were evacuated and taken to the hospital for treatment after the recent collapse of a two-storey building located on Lagos Street, Garki, there is cause for serious concern. In fact, it has become a crying need to identify the root causes of the menace and fashion a sustainable way forward out of the recurring ugly decimal of building collapse, not only in Abuja but across the country. According to one Aminu Idris, an occupant of the collapsed building, the tragedy took place at 11 pm on Wednesday, August 24. Also, the Director General of FEMA, Abbas Idris, who confirmed the number of casualties, explained that some of those evacuated suffered serious injuries.

Though relevant stakeholders including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) later arrived on the scene to evacuate the rubble and check if anyone was trapped, to many concerned Nigerians prevention is far better than cure. That position underscores the revelation made by one Charity Yusuf, who lives across the street where the building collapsed, stating that though occupants had been advised to vacate the building, which was already on the verge of collapse they did not do so. They had therefore inadvertently exposed themselves to the unfortunate incident. On the part of the government, the new Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, who arrived at the building the morning after its collapse ordered the arrest of the owner of the building, while promising that the Abuja administration would pay the hospital bills of those injured.

He also urged the Department of Development Control, FCTA, to urgently resettle the residents of the community as well as urging the stakeholders to work with government officials for the interest of everyone. That, of course, has become a necessity. It is worthy of note, as reflected in Wike’s first speech on assuming office as FCT minister, that he threatened to demolish illegal buildings, in sync with the Abuja Master Plan. His statement is worth thinking about: “This is what we are talking about; people just build houses without due diligence to minimum standards.” Similarly, the Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, explained that the area was unplanned and houses an indigenous community.

The sad scenario however, raises the fundamental questions. Who handled the construction of the building; those responsible for giving out the Certificate of Ownership (C of O) and why the owner did not take proactive measures to get the occupants out, when the cracks became manifest? Answers to these questions will go some way towards preventing the recurrence of it in Abuja and other parts of the country. But what really are the root causes and what meaningful steps should be taken to stem the tide of building collapse? According to Prof. Siyan Malomo, who was then the DirectorGeneral, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), “Engineering geologists are not usually involved in the building foundation studies and estate development beyond simple soil tests. Yet many of the buildings are located on poor, faulty ground; those with expansive soils, sulphate soils, collapsing soils and weak rocks.”

The respected civil engineer made this poignant statement as the Guest Lecturer at the Maiden edition of the Annual Lecture series of the College of Engineering, Bells University of Technology, Ota on May 2, 2012. Quoting reports carried out by NGSA for over a decade – between June 16, 1990 and January 29, 2012 – about 500 avoidable deaths were recorded while over 1,000 victims’ sustained injuries of various degrees within the period under review. Unfortunately, between then and now several more buildings have collapsed in various incidents across the country. Other factors responsible for building collapses include the use of defective or substandard building materials, including the quality of cement, iron rods and laterite.

The obvious lack of requisite technical knowledge and non-adherence to building codes and standards are part of the challenges. But it does not take rocket science for one to understand that soil texture plays a significant role in all of this. Also responsible are the use of non-professionals and the high level of corruption which has ravaged virtually every sphere of our building industry. On the preventive measures to be taken, experts list the need to check the foundations of the buildings, the deployment of earthquake-proof constructions, and avoidance of major alterations to the building plans. Also important is the engineers to be aware of construction area’s standards, get a professional architect’s guidance and then seek help from a professional structural engineer. Going forward, Wike, as well as other state governors, should borrow a leaf from the attempt by the Lagos State Government to curb the menace. For instance, Governor Sanwo-Olu has empowered the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to ensure that all buildings in the state are issued Certificates of Completion and Fitness for Habitation (CCFH) with the objective to safeguard residents’ lives and address the root causes of building collapses

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