NICE Raises Concern Over Incessant Building Collapse, Proffers Solution

Worried over incessant building collapse in Nigeria, the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE), an umbrella body of all practicing Civil Engineers in the country, has recommended serious measures to checkmate the trend across the country.

National Chairman of NICE, Engr. Chukwudi Ezugu,  in a statement said the attention of the entire membership of the professional body has been drawn to the frequent cases of building collapse across the country especially the collapse of the 21-storey building at 44 Gerard Road Ikoyi, Lagos killing about 40 people and Banana Island’s Seven Storey Building that collapsed on April 19, trapping about 25 people.

“From basic inquiries some of the State Development Control Boards in the Country don’t have enough resources including experienced registered professional staff to vet and certify structural drawings for approval. The manpower and mobility to move into construction sites, control development and if necessary, seal them when developers are building without approved building permits or violating specifications are lacking.

“Undue and over-bearing influence by powerful individuals in the society who in defiance to stop work orders continue with projects is also a great contributory factor to the failures. More worrisome is the infiltration of the building industry by quacks,” he said.

He however advised that the Federal and State Governments across the country should as a matter of urgency take steps to address the issues raised above in order to stem the tide of building collapse in the country.

“We urge the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to ensure that only building materials that meet the minimum standards are sold in the market to users. We also categorically state that we have adequate capacity to arrest this ugly situation if called upon to do so.

“The Engineers associated and indicted by the probe panels should be dealt with according to provisions of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) laws guiding engineering practice in Nigeria while the non-Registered Engineers and allied professionals should be investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and tried in line with the memorandum of understanding with COREN.

“We once again reiterate our ability and readiness to partner with Federal and State Governments and relevant agencies to prevent future occurrences,” he added.