The Federal Government has tasked stakeholders in the building and construction sector to close their ranks and find lasting solutions to incessant building and structural collapse across the country that always leaves in trail, loss of lives.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owen Enoh gave this charge on Tuesday in Abuja at the national conference on the building/ construction sector themed: ‘Adherence to standard practices: bedrock of sustainable development in the building/ construction sector organized by Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON).’

The country witnessed rampant cases of building and structural collapses across in the recent times.

“The Building Collapse Prevention Guild said Nigeria witnessed 635 building collapse cases between 1974 and November 5, 2024 in its latest report, stating that Lagos State had recorded the highest cases with over 351 buildings caving in the last 50 years.

“The report showed that the 351 collapsed buildings in Lagos represented 55.28 per cent of the total of 635 recorded cases across the country during this period.”

Reflecting on numerous cases of building collapses in the country yesterday while declaring open the conference, Eno tasked every stakeholder connected to building and structure construction to close their ranks and find lasting solutions to incessant collapse of buildings.

“I’m aware of the several efforts by some on this matter. My mandate to you on this crucial matter is to ensure safer, more reliable structures. This forum affords me a chance to relate with relevant stakeholders in the industry, to unite and collaborate for the common purpose of safety.

“In discussion here, I’d like to encourage everyone to focus more on the areas of pre-construction, construction and post-construction regulatory and enforcement framework, in the promotion of public awareness, as well as capacity building enhancement”.

“The current administration is concerned about the security of lives and property. It’s uppermost on the agenda of the current administration. So putting a stop to the unending incidents of building and construction collapses is paramount.

“I believe adhering to strictly agreed standard practices will be a contribution to the priority of the administration.

“I look forward to very robust engagements and discussions, and it’s my hope that the outcome of this will be very enabling and very useful to getting this sector, the building and construction sector right,” he said.

The President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Prof. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar harped on standard enforcement in building construction.

“The building industry is peculiar in the sense that there are codes and standards that govern activities from design to completion of projects.

“The efforts of the Standards Organization of Nigeria at the development or domestication of codes and standards in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Nigerian Society of Engineers and its corresponding Committee on Codes and Standards must not go unnoticed but we need to do more.

“Nigeria is situated in sub-Saharan Africa with its inherent weather conditions different from that of the temperate and other regions hence the need for the development of local codes and standards that addresses these peculiarities.

“At the moment, there exist Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) that cover building materials such as Cement, Glass, Steel, Blocks etc and British Standards, Eurocodes are still being utilized in some quarters.

“While there is nothing wrong with the adaptation of foreign codes and standards, such adaptation needs to address the local conditions and peculiarities in the country,” the COREN President said.

He noted that adherence to standard practice therefore requires a robust monitoring framework, effective regulation and diligent enforcement where necessary.

In an opening remark earlier, SON Director – General, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke regretted despite many sensitization and awareness campaigns carried out by SON over the years, many industry stakeholders and practitioners still lack awareness of the standards required for safe, durable and sustainable buildings.

” This knowledge gap exists not only among construction workers but also among suppliers and building professionals. Training and education are essential to bring everyone up to par with international best practices, but that may not be all there is.

“In the same way, our growing population requires a rapid increase in affordable housing, which brings with it the challenge of meeting demand without compromising on quality.

“Innovative materials, construction techniques and designs must be developed and standardized to meet this demand while maintaining quality and safety,” he said

Ifeanyi reiterated SON has a mandate to develop, approve and enforce standards across all sectors, including the building and construction industry.

“As we confront the challenges in this sector, SON is dedicated to promoting safe practices, ensuring quality and supporting sustainable development through several other initiatives.

“SON has worked closely and will continue to do so with industry experts and practitioners to develop and update standards for construction materials, techniques and safety protocols,” he said. (New Telegraph)