The Lagos State Government has revoked all current building permits and mandated builders to reapply for validation to proceed with construction.
Dr. Olajide Babatunde, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on e-GIS and Urban Development, announced this during a visit to the site of a collapsed building in Maryland, Ikeja, on Saturday.
Babatunde was accompanied by Mr. Gbolahun Oki, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Collapse Agency (LASBCA), and other executive members.
Recall that a building under construction at 13 Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate, Maryland, Lagos, collapsed on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of five workers.
“All commencement certifications in Lagos are revoked effective immediately. This applies to everyone with a construction site, including those in the big five category,” Babatunde stated. “Return to the LASBCA office to revalidate that document. If you decide not to go for the revalidation of that documentation, we are going to seal that site.”
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He expressed profound sorrow over the incident and emphasized that such occurrences must be prevented.
Babatunde acknowledged the government’s responsibility in preventing building collapses but also blamed property owners and developers for negligence and violating building regulations.
He stressed the importance of obtaining a Certificate of Completion or Fitness for Habitation before occupying a building and warned that the government would prosecute anyone violating this rule.
He noted the government’s strict regulations regarding building construction and occupancy, stating that buildings must be certified by LASBCA before habitation, with non-compliance being a criminal offense.
Babatunde revealed that LASBCA would increase enforcement, including employing private consultants to inspect buildings, and had already taken steps such as issuing stop-work orders and sealing buildings. However, he admitted the agency still faced challenges due to limited resources and uncooperative developers.
Babatunde called on private professionals to collaborate with the government to enhance building regulation enforcement in the state.
Mr. Gbolahun Oki, the General Manager of LASBCA, detailed the agency’s response to the recent building collapse and its plans for preventing future incidents.
Oki stated that LASBCA would conduct comprehensive inspections of buildings in the affected estate, marking and demolishing those deemed unsafe. He noted the poor soil conditions in the area affected by the collapse and stressed the need for rigorous building inspections and approvals.
He explained that all construction sites must have a full team of professionals, including an architect, structural engineer, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and builder, to ensure adherence to building codes. Oki said the agency would strictly enforce construction hours (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) and prohibit on-site sleeping to improve worker safety.
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He also mentioned plans to expand the agency’s capacity through public-private partnerships to enhance building control and inspection.
Earlier, Mrs. Florence Agbaye, Director of Inspectorate and Quality Control, Ikeja Division, discussed the department’s role and challenges in ensuring building safety in Lagos.
Agbaye noted that developers often continue work illegally despite receiving notices and having construction sites sealed. She cited the current collapsed building as an example, which had received notices and seals, but construction continued illegally.
Agbaye emphasized that many developers failed to invite the department for required stage inspections.
“We are supposed to inspect every construction at every stage of work, but to our amazement, most constructions don’t invite LASBCA for stage inspection, like the sites that we are on today,” Agbaye said.
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