Lagos state governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu has lamented the disregard for building code in the country, saying if professionals in the building environment complied with the Code “the problem of building collapse will be half-solved.”
The governor said this Friday at the second edition of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) with the theme, “Professionalism Across Board In The Built Environment” held in Lagos.
He said, “’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 realise that shelter is of utmost importance, we constantly advocate that as responsible citizens, there is the need to build right in order to have buildings that are safe, healthy and preserved for future generations.
“It is very crucial at this point in our 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.
“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 noted that since professional bodies “play 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 gets it wrong, there would be a domino effect.”
Earlier, the general manager of the LABSCA, Arch. Gbolahan Oki, said the engagement was a testament to collective dedication aimed at “providing a platform for open dialogue, knowledge-sharing and collaboration among all stakeholders in the building and construction sector.”
“We aim to engage not only industry professionals, but also our community members who are involved in property development, specifically our mothers who specialise in trading and constantly engage the services of developers in handling their building projects,” he said.