Quacks behind 95% of building collapses – Experts - Punch Newspapers

Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, Minister of Housing and Urban Development

Building experts have stated that between 90 and 95 per cent of cases of building collapses in Nigeria are caused by unprofessionals who are in the business for the sake of making money. These stakeholders, while speaking during a recent chat with The PUNCH, also blamed quackery as another major cause. A former Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr Godfrey Chukwurah, said the high rate of poverty in the country has turned the building profession into an all-comers affair where people who are not qualified find themselves playing in the industry simply because they want to put food on the table. “Poverty in the country has made the building profession seem to be an all-comers profession. Where people who are not qualified find themselves playing in the industry simply because they want to put food on the table. “So, they get involved and then, of course, a lot of things start to happen. I can assure you that in 90, more than 95 per cent of the incidents of collapse, you will not find a registered professional involved in those projects,” Chukwurah said. He emphasised that the unprofessionals get involved at diverse stages. “It could be at the design level. Somebody who is not trained, who is not a licensed professional. Maybe a structural engineer trained to design structural elements of a building. “Or even a registered architect trained to design a building. And worst still, somebody who is not trained to be a builder carrying out construction activity. At the end of the day, because they have little or no liability in the profession, they do shady deals, cut corners, and then erect a building. Of course, the building will come down.” According to him, the development further attests to the fact that Nigerians by nature are not people who are willing to be accountable, including the clients who engage those quacks to carry out such shady jobs. “Because, you know, when you bid for a project, and you expect that the client should understand that as a professional, they will decide to go and work with a clerk who, in the end, even if the building doesn’t collapse, makes the maintenance of that building far more frequent and more expensive,” he stated. Lagos moves to enforce building standards One arrested after Enugu building collapse kills squatter One killed, others trapped in Enugu building collapse He stressed that when a house is well built, there would have been fewer reasons and less frequency of maintenance both structurally and in terms of structure and finishing. “However, if you have a badly built house, oftentimes you have to do one repair, or at the end of the day, it costs you time, it costs you more money, and the building deteriorates faster,” he stated. “Because building is a science, and the science has to be applied while constructing the building. So, now, the second aspect is the issue of standard materials. Unfortunately, we have written quite a lot of correspondence to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, requesting that they carry out oversight inspections on those manufacturing companies, particularly for those who produce reinforcements, iron rods. “And then, those who import or produce boats, marine boats, that we use for work. If you observe, you will notice that most buildings that collapse during wet construction – 90 per cent are as a result of failure of formwork. Formwork is a temporary platform that is used for construction. It could be to support wet concrete or even to support water while the construction is going on, which you later remove when the construction is completed,” Chukwurah mentioned. Also speaking, a civil engineer and the Managing Director of Omelis Empire Limited, Okey Emelibe, said, “When it comes to building collapse, the major cause has always been wrong foundation. “Some people use strip foundation where they are supposed to have raft, and some also use thrift instead of pad foundation. Because there are strip, pad, and raft foundations, these are the three different foundations we have. “Another major issue is that the type of foundation you use for a two-storey building is different from the foundation for a three-storey building, and also different from a bungalow; they always have their in-depth requirements. Another factor that affects the foundation is when you use inferior or wrong materials, poor supervision by engineers, and employing the wrong workers also causes that.” Emelibe advised the government to set up regulatory agencies to enforce the use of adequate materials and professionals in the field. “The government should also reduce the charges paid to get approvals and focus on using professionals for the jobs, as we see in the developed world,” he advised. Anozie Egole Anozie is a Chief Correspondent at Punch Newspapers with over 13 years of experience covering entertainment, maritime, and transport sectors. He specializes in producing insightful, engaging stories that provide clarity and depth across his beats. Anozie’s work reflects substantial newsroom experience and a strong commitment to accurate and compelling journalism.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Stay in the know—fast. Get instant alerts, breaking headlines, and exclusive stories with the Punch News App. Download now and never miss a beat.