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INCESSANT building collapse in Nigeria has become a source of worry to the government. Many Nigerians are of the opinion that the government should monitor developers to reduce frequent reoccurrence. Below are the positions of some Nigerians on the issue.

Christian Ifeanyichukwu, Banker: Government should monitor the structures at all levels for adequate stability to ensure that the members of the public are not put at risk from structural collapse. Structures should be able to resist extreme weather including high winds and surface water or run-off. They should be capable of withstanding dynamic forces and have solid foundations.

Nnaemeka Ogbonna, Businessman: Some of the buildings that collapsed recently in Lagos and Kaduna were, indeed, colonial era structures. Most of them are not meant to be inhabited for this long without some rigorous structural reinforcements. The government should have information on the age of buildings and should be specifically targeting aged ones for assessment at all times.

Chukwuma Ejigionu, Accountant: The only thing government should do is to identify weak and dangerous buildings, mark them for demolition and demolish them. However, new laws need to be made giving government the right to take positive actions when such buildings are identified.

Mercy Nnamani, Civil Servant: What are our engineers, architects and builders doing? Modern building construction needs synthetic materials mixed with cement, and that makes the wall tough and not easily soaked with water, but our contractors are not doing it. Government should re-orient our contractors.

Christopher Okoro, Politician: The government needs to review the regulatory process of buildings in Nigeria to make sure that disciplinary actions are being taken against the contractors that build collapsed buildings. The new regulation will facilitate effective enforcement of the building code.

Chukwudi Idukpo, Engineer: Government should monitor the developers and the quality of building materials they use in building houses. Our problem is the developers and that is why government should monitor their activities because most of the times they flout the original building plans to accommodate more tenants.

Compiled by Anayo Ezugwu

— Sep. 9, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT

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