BEVERLY HILLS, March 25, (THEWILL) – A three-storey building has collapsed in Kakawa street, Lagos Island on Monday.
According to a resident of the street, no one was trapped because the building was marked for demolition and occupants had vacated.
The collapsed structure, however, affected a bungalow with three occupants.
This comes as the Building Collapse Prevention Guild on Monday said about 36,000 potential collapses are waiting to happen in Lagos State.
According to the President of BCPG, Mr Akinola George, this is because most buildings in Lagos State are not constructed by the people who are properly trained to do so.
He said construction professionals had been reduced to onlookers on the building construction and procurement scene as they participate in less than 20 per cent of the total volume of construction activities going on in the state.
“A survey revealed that over 45,000 sites existed at a time in Lagos State. 20 per cent of these sites translates to 9,000. Hence by deduction, quacks and other faceless characters by whatever names called are responsible for the remaining 80 per cent. A whopping 36,000 potential collapses are waiting to happen,” he added.
“In this regard, the government should set up a high powered committee comprising government officials and the private sector core professionals which would employ the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory to check the integrity of buildings in these areas.
“It is imperative that the Lagos State Government should revisit and review the entire Lagos Master Plan; most importantly, it should commence an urban renewal programme for its inner cities that are presently suffering degradation, dilapidation and ruin.
“Specific emphasis should be paid in this regard to Lagos Island, Mushin, Ajegunle, Somolu, Bariga, lwaya, Makoko, Ebute-Metta, Surulere, lpaja, Iyana-Ipaja, Abule Egba and Ketu.
“Buildings and other developments that do not comply or align with the spirit, concept and context of the urban renewal master plan should be removed.”
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