Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has decried wanton disregard for building code in Nigeria.
He said if professionals in the built environment comply with the code, the problem of building collapse taking its toll on the nation’s built environment would be half solved.
Sanwo-Olu spoke on Thursday at the second edition of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) workshop with the theme, “Professionalism Across Board In The Built Environment” held in Lagos.
According to Sanwo-Olu, ”One major challenge we face as a government is citizens’ strict adherence to building codes which often translates to complete disregard to building regulations by home owners and developers.
“While we realize that shelter is of utmost importance, we constantly advocate that as responsible citizens, there is a need to build right in order to have buildings that are safe, healthy and preserved for future generations.”
The governor said it is very crucial at this point in the nation’s history to enforce building regulations to the letter so as to prevent illegal, haphazard and poorly constructed buildings that are detrimental to the wellbeing of Lagosians.
“That is why we are strongly advocating that only professionals should be engaged in building constructions in the state.
”The question you might want to ask is, who are the Professionals that should be engaged in the building construction industry? The answer is not far-fetched, they are: Builders, Architects, Structural /Civil Engineers, Geologists Mechanical and Electrical Engineers.
”I daresay that engaging only these professionals will solve 70 per cent of the challenges of building collapse across the state. Therefore, it is now mandatory that all relevant professionals in the built environment are fully engage in any building construction in the state,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu added that since professional bodies played a huge role in the building process, from designs to supervision, construction and management of the entire process, there should be unity and a sense of purpose in the sense that if one got it wrong, there would be a serious effect.
He urged all professional bodies to as a matter of urgency register all deserving candidates as this would promote professionalism and end quackery in the built sector.
Sanwo-Olu further urged the leadership of these professional bodies to devise a method to track those who are not their members as well as put in place stringent punitive measures to punish members who are not practicing in line with the code of professional conduct of the associations.
The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Gbolahan Oki said the engagement is a testament to collective dedication aimed at providing a platform for open dialogue, knowledge sharing and collaboration among all stakeholders in the built and construction sector.
He said LASBCA had made significant strides in ensuring adherence to building standards and codes, resulting in a notable decline in building collapses, saying these positive outcomes were testament to government’s efforts.
”Nevertheless, we acknowledge that there is always room for improvement. During this engagement, we will introduce new measures by the state government designed to enhance the safety and resilience of our buildings for future generations,” he said.
Oki stated that government’s aim is to engage not only industry professionals but also community members who are involved in property development, specifically mothers who specialised in trading and constantly engage the services of developers in handling their building projects.
