Building Collapse In Lagos State: Causes And Recommendations

Abstract

On Tuesday July 18th 2006 at 7.30 pm there was tears, sorrow and blood at Obute meta in Lagos as a four storey building housing thirty six flats and twenty five lock up shop collapsed killing atleast fifty seven people including children and pregnant women. In the recent past, Lagos had witnessed geometrical leap in the incidence of continuous building collapse with attendant loss of lives and properties. Also, before this time a building had collapsed at cemetery street in Amukoko. The collapse of buildings in Lagos is so rampant, yet Lagos still remains the rallying point of all construction professionals. In this paper therefore examines the causes of building collapse in Lagos provide and the recommendation/remedies that will reduce or better still, stop the insensate building failures and consequent collapse in Lagos. Questionnaire, interview and inventories were used to collect data. The major causes of building collapse in Lagos State were identified and recommendations were made. Journal of Technology and Education in Nigeria Vol. 11 (1) 2006: pp. 58-65