As building collapses become alarmingly frequent across Nigeria, experts warn that quackery, poor regulatory enforcement, and substandard materials are turning housing into a deadly gamble, ANOZIE EGOLE reports
Recent data from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild show that building collapse remains a major safety challenge in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos State.
Jide & Co Onasali, in its 2022 report, identified building collapse as a major obstacle to sustainable development in Nigeria, with severe consequences, noting that the country had lost properties valued at $3.2tn to building collapses over the past two decades.
A January 2025 report by the BCPG, published by The PUNCH, revealed that 47 building collapse incidents occurred across 14 states in Nigeria in 2024, disclosing that building collapses rose to 640 from October 1974 to 9 January 2025.
According to the report, “In 2024, there were 47 recorded building collapses across 14 states. Lagos continued to lead with 13 incidents, followed by Abuja with six, Anambra with five, and Kano and Rivers with four each. Other states like Jigawa and Plateau recorded three collapses each, while Osun and Delta saw two each. Additionally, Niger, Abia, Edo, Oyo, and Ebonyi each had one recorded collapse. Lagos State accounts for 55.15 per cent of the recorded incidents, significantly higher than other regions. Abuja follows as the second-highest contributor with 4.37 per cent, while Anambra ranks third with 4.06 per cent. Oyo and Kano occupy the fourth and fifth positions with 3.44 per cent and 3.28 per cent of the recorded incidents, respectively.”
