In response to the growing incidents of building collapse across Nigeria, the Federal Government has inaugurated an expanded Ministerial Task Team aimed at addressing the crisis.
Speaking during the inauguration on Wednesday, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, described the situation as deeply troubling, citing frequent structural failures that have resulted in numerous fatalities, injuries, and property loss.
According to the minister, the Ministry had previously constituted a panel, chaired by Architect Maji Liberty Alkali, to investigate the root causes and recommend corrective actions. The initial committee had presented 18 key recommendations to tackle the issue.
“In order to ensure these recommendations are not just shelved, but effectively acted upon, I have ordered the expansion of the committee to include major regulatory agencies and professional associations within the built environment sector,” Dangiwa stated.
He identified the primary causes of collapse as poor structural design, the use of inferior materials, inadequate oversight, and non-compliance with regulatory requirements. The minister called for a unified front among stakeholders including architects, engineers, builders, town planners, surveyors, and estate valuers to safeguard lives and infrastructure.
The revamped task team has been mandated to guide the government on the practical execution of the committee’s proposals, draft a comprehensive roadmap to strengthen structural and regulatory systems, develop a compliance monitoring framework, and recommend legal reforms to bolster federal oversight.
Supporting the minister’s remarks, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, noted that the composition of the task team reflects a holistic approach to solving the recurring challenge of building collapse in Nigeria.
