In
recent times, collapse of buildings in Nigeria has been a source of concern to
many particularly those associated with the building industry. This is because
there
are series of cases of building collapse in Nigeria and the world at large.
Most of these cases had resulted into unusually large economic losses in terms
of
lives
and property. This trend has created serious concern to
all the professionals
in the industry such as the Structural Engineers, Architects, and the Builders.
The government also is worried about the incessant collapse of buildings in the
Country.
However, It
is common knowledge nowadays that every mason, carpenter, painter, electrician
and iron bender wants to be known as an engineer. This trend has made the
operations of quacks in the construction industry so rampart in recent times. A
quack is someone who pretends to be an engineer, architect, a physician or who
claims to posses professional knowledge that he does not have. They lack the
principles, standards, codes and ethics of the profession they fraudulently
represent.
The activities of quacks in the construction
industry has led to the incessant collapse of buildings across the country.
This development has brought about loss of lives and properties worth billions
of naira. The fear of loss of life and property has caused the public to ask:
“Who is to blame when buildings collapse?” There are several factors
responsible for collapse of buildings, but first on the list is the active
involvement of quacks in the industry.
The construction of any
engineering project is to be managed by qualified professionals such as
engineers, architects, surveyors etc to ensure quality control of all the
materials used and compliance with standards. Therefore, none compliance by
quacks results in poorly finished projects which eventually fail.
Also, inadequate site supervision by quacks
leads to collapse and failure of engineering projects. Adequate site
supervision is very critical for preventing collapse/failure of projects.
Therefore, understanding and implementation of engineering drawings can only be
guaranteed by professionals and not quacks.
The activities of quacks in Nigeria has given
the engineering profession a bad image as members of the public ignorantly cast
blames on engineers for any project constructed poorly or that fails. Except
proper monitoring is done to reduce their activities, this menace would
continue.
The
global concerns for sudden collapses of buildings across the world, and in Nigeria
in particular demand that construction and especially design of buildings be
carried out with great care.
The following table shows cases of
building failures and their causes for the period 1974-2011 in Nigeria - By J.A. Tanko
S/N
|
Building
Type
|
Location
|
Collapsed
in
|
Cause(s)
|
Lives
Lost
|
1
|
Multi-storey
(UB)
|
Ibadan,
Oyo
|
1974
|
OL/SF/Q
|
27
|
2
|
Hostel
Building
|
O.A.U.
Oyo
|
1976
|
SF
|
Nil
|
3
|
Residential
Building
|
Barnawa,
Kaduna
|
1977
|
FD/Q
|
28
|
4
|
School
Building
|
Makarfi,
Kaduna
|
1977
|
CLSS
|
7
|
5
|
3-Storey
RB
|
Barnawa,
Kaduna
|
1980
|
FD/Q
|
6
|
6
|
K/Hyatt
Regency
|
Lagos
|
1981
|
OL/Q
|
113
|
7
|
Storey RB
|
Allin,
Ikeja, Lagos
|
1985
|
OL/Q
|
Nil
|
8
|
Residential
Building
|
Adeniji
Adele, Lagos
|
1985
|
OL/Q
|
2
|
9
|
Residential
Building
|
Ojuelegba,
Lagos
|
1985
|
RS
|
Nil
|
10
|
4 Storey
RB (UB)
|
Iponri,
Lagos
|
1985
|
SF
|
13
|
11
|
Residential
Building
|
V/Island,
Lagos
|
1985
|
OL/Q
|
13
|
12
|
Residential
Building
|
Gboko,
Benue
|
1985
|
CLSS
|
1
|
13
|
Residential
Building
|
A/Avenue,
Lagos
|
1985
|
CLSS
|
Nil
|
14
|
Residential
Building
|
Adeniji
Adele Lagos
|
1985
|
FD/Q
|
2
|
15
|
High
Court Building
|
Imo State
|
1986
|
SF
|
2
|
16
|
Mosque
Building
|
Oshogbo, Osun
|
1986
|
SF
|
2
|
17
|
Residential
Building
|
Ona
Street, Enugu
|
1986
|
NI
|
2
|
18
|
2 Storey
Building (UC)
|
Agege,
Lagos
|
1987
|
SF
|
2
|
19
|
Residential
Building
|
Idumota,
Lagos
|
1987
|
NSD/Q
|
17
|
20
|
Commercial
Building
|
Ikorodu
Rd, Lagos
|
1987
|
CLSS
|
4
|
21
|
Residential
Building
|
Calabar,
C/River
|
1987
|
CLSS
|
3
|
22
|
6-Storey
Building
|
Mende
Lagos
|
1987
|
FD/Q
|
Nill
|
23
|
School
Building
|
Port
Hacourt, Rivers
|
1990
|
NSD/Q
|
Nill
|
24
|
6-Storey
hotel complex
|
Maryland,
Lagos
|
1993
|
SF
|
Not Known
|
25
|
Sports
Complex, Storey
|
Area 10,
Abuja
|
1993
|
PW
|
NR
|
26
|
MS-SHB
Nicon-Noga
|
Karo,
Abuja
|
1993
|
Q
|
NR
|
27
|
MB (UC)
|
Abeokuta,
Ogun
|
1995
|
Q
|
2
|
28
|
Storey
Building (UC)
|
Central
Lagos
|
1995
|
PW
|
10
|
29
|
3-Storey
CB
|
Lagos
|
1995
|
SF
|
6
|
30
|
School
building
|
Ibadan,
Oyo
|
1995
|
PW
|
Nill
|
31
|
Storey
building
|
Ibadan,
Oyo
|
1995
|
SF
|
6
|
32
|
UCSB, CB
(UC)
|
Oshodi,
Lagos
|
1996
|
UCSB/Q
|
7
|
33
|
SB (UB)
|
Lagos
State
|
1996
|
SF
|
Injury
only
|
34
|
6-Storey
(UB)
|
Lagos
State
|
1996
|
Q
|
1
|
35
|
2 Storey
building
|
Mushin,
Lagos
|
1997
|
PM
|
Nill
|
36
|
Duplex
building
|
Gwarinpa,
Abuja
|
1998
|
SF
|
2
|
37
|
3 storey
RB
|
Ibadan,
Oyo
|
1998
|
FD/Q
|
Several
|
38
|
4 Storey
CB (UC)
|
Akure,
Ondo
|
1998
|
PS
|
8
|
39
|
2 Storey
RB
|
Abeokuta,
Ogun
|
1998
|
PM
|
Nill
|
40
|
3-Storey
RB
|
Surulere
Lagos
|
1999
|
PM
|
4
|
41
|
1 Storey
RB
|
V/Island,
Lagos
|
1999
|
RS/Q
|
NR
|
42
|
3 Storey
RB
|
Oko-Oba,
Lagos
|
1999
|
SF
|
Nill
|
43
|
3 Storey
RB
|
CB, Abuja
|
1999
|
FDI/Q
|
NA
|
44
|
1 Storey
RB
|
Agege,
Lagos
|
1999
|
SF
|
Nill
|
45
|
3 Storey
RB
|
Iju-isaga,
Lagos
|
1999
|
RS/Q
|
35
|
46
|
2 Storey
RB
|
Ifo, Ogun
|
1999
|
RS/Q
|
20
|
47
|
STOREY RB
|
Mushin,
Lagos
|
2000
|
FD/Q
|
NA
|
48
|
Estate
Building
|
Lekki Rd,
Lagos
|
2000
|
SF
|
Nill
|
49
|
2
Storey MB
|
Mushin,
Lagos
|
2001
|
UCSB/Q
|
7
|
50
|
1-Storey
RB (UC)
|
Iwoye-Ijesa,
Osun
|
2001
|
SF
|
7
|
51
|
Multi-storey
CRB
|
Ebute-Meta,
Lagos
|
2007
|
UCSB/PS/PM/Q
|
Several
|
52
|
Multi-storey
Building
|
Kano
|
2007
|
FD/Q
|
Several
|
53
|
PB
Nurs./Prim. Sch.
|
Ibadan,
Oyo
|
2008
|
PM
|
13
|
54
|
5
Storey PB (UB)
|
Wuse
Area, Abuja
|
2008
|
PW
|
2-I,
100-T
|
55
|
2
Storey RB (UC)
|
Abeokuta,
Ogun
|
2008
|
NC/PM
|
2
|
56
|
6
Storey LATH (UB)
|
Ogbomoso,
Oyo
|
2009
|
PM/PS/PW
|
5
|
57
|
A
Wall FENCE
|
GRA,
Enugu
|
2009
|
NPD/Q
|
1
|
58
|
Uncompleted
Building
|
Itamorin,
Abeokuta, Ogun
|
2009
|
PM/HC
|
3,
11-I
|
59
|
Building
(UC)
|
Oshodi
Lagos
|
2010
|
PM
|
4,
12-I
|
60
|
Storey
Building (UB)
|
V/Island,
Lagos
|
2010
|
PM/NC/WS
|
1,
2-I
|
61
|
4
Storey UB
|
Abuja
|
2010
|
PM/NC
|
23,
11-I
|
62
|
4
Storey Building
|
V/Island,
Lagos
|
2010
|
OL/Q
|
3
|
63
|
2-Storey
Building
|
Mararaba,
Nasarawa
|
2011
|
SF
|
2,
9-I
|
64
|
5-Storey
Building
|
Ikeja,
Lagos
|
2011
|
SF
|
NR
|
The
summary of reported building failure and their causes in Nigeria.
Failure
Causes
|
Frequency
of Failure
|
Prevalence
|
Expected
|
Structural
Failure (SF)
|
16
|
05
|
48
|
Carelessness
(CLSS)
|
05
|
02
|
15
|
Poor
Workmanship (PW)
|
05
|
02
|
15
|
Poor
Supervision (PS)
|
03
|
01
|
09
|
Poor
Materials (PM)
|
11
|
04
|
33
|
Quackery
(Q)
|
26
|
08
|
78
|
Data copied from J.A. Tanko ET AL( Scientific Research)
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