Developers attribute building collapse to lack of professionalism

“Developers under the aegis of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), South West Zone, have condemned the action or inaction, negligence, lack of professionalism, etc, that have led to the series of building collapse incidents in Nigeria.” –Business Day

The country has, in the last six months, witnessed several cases of building collapse with Lagos leading the pack having recorded about six collapse cases in the last three months.

REDAN, in a statement in Lagos recently, disassociated itself from all buildings or developments involved in the collapse and advised the government to ensure that a close and strict monitoring of all ongoing projects in the state was ensured.

“We want to state, for the record, that none of our members is involved directly or indirectly in any of these collapse incidents. Furthermore, any developer, builder or landlord who is associated with any of these collapsed building should be sanctioned and punished accordingly by the government,” Taiwo Ogunbodede, the association’s zonal chairman, said.

Ogunbodede tasked the government on coming up with a National Building Code that should regulate the conduct and operations of professionals and stakeholders in the construction industry.

“It is believed that the absence of a National Building Code has been responsible for the reoccurrence of building collapse and passing the code into law will regulate and stop the use of non-professionals and quacks in the building and construction industry,” he reasoned.

He also advised builders and developers to adhere strictly to rules and norms in development process such as use of quality building materials. He noted that one of the major causes of building collapse is the failure of builders or developers to stick strictly to the right quantity and quality of building materials.

“The construction and development business is a serious business and as such the appropriate human resources should be deployed. Only professionals and certified engineers should be contracted in any building projects,” he said.

He added, “To avoid future collapse of buildings, we strongly advise that quacks and non-building professionals should not be used in building projects. Contractors should ensure constant and adequate education and professional development of its members which will help them upgrade their skills and knowledge.”

He advised further that building contractors should ensure that their designs are reviewed and approved by the appropriate authorities before commencing any major building project. This is because so many developers and contractors don’t engage the services of qualified building engineers.

Ogunbodede regretted the lackadaisical attitude of some building contractors, which, if not properly dealt with, may continue to pose a problem in the construction industry. “Proper maintenance culture must be cultivated for the avoidance of building as even the best constructed buildings needs to be maintained properly”, he said.

Source: Business Day