24/07/2024
COUNCIL FOR THE REGULATION OF ENGINEERING IN NIGERIA
PRESS BRIEFING ON THE INCESSANT SPATE OF BUILDING COLLAPSE IN NIGERIA IN RECENT TIMES – A CALL FOR SUSTAINABLE COLLABORATION BY ALL STAKEHOLDERS
17th July, 2024.
Protocol.
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) formerly known as Council of Registered Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), is the regulatory body that governs the practice of engineering in Nigeria. COREN was established as a Statutory Organ of the Federal Government of Nigeria by Decree No. 55 in 1970 and it was amended by Decree 27 in 1992. In the year 2004, the Act was renamed Engineers (Registration etc) Act, CAP E 11 and now further amended by Engineers (Registration, etc) (Amendment) Act No.3, 2018 which was assented into law in March, 2019 by then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.
Perturbed by the incessant and avoidable incidences of building collapse in Nigeria and loss of lives in recent times, COREN has deemed it fit to call this press conference for the purpose of information and collaboration between all stakeholders in steming the tide of this menace. Building Collapse is not just peculiar to Nigeria but occurs globally for so many reasons ranging grom natural causes to man-made causes. Some Buildings collapse as a result of aging too as they may have outlived their useful life span without adequate maintenance. Whenever we have a situation of Building collapse the first priority is to safe lives after which investigation commences. COREN as a body therefore does not rush to make conclusive comments after building collapses without failure investigation in line with it’s mandate.
The leading causes varies from one location to the other but from some investigations and researches conducted over time they include use of sub-standard construction materials, structural failure, illegal change of use of buildings, illegal addition of floors, quackery, inadequate or lack of supervision and oversight, faulty foundations or lack of conduct of soil/geotechnical investigation, sharp and corrupt practices amongst others.
COREN received reports of the rising cost of cement which is a basic material for construction and inadequate diameter for reinforcement rods in the market as a recipe for further occurrences of this menace. While relevant professionals continue to engage cement manufacturers through relevant joint committee of the National Assembly to stem the rising cost of the product and make if affordable to Nigerians, we will continue to collaborate with the standards organization of Nigeria towards sanitizing the market of inappropriate building materials as much as practicable.
From January to 14th July, 2024 alone, at least twenty-two (22) cases of building collapse have been reported in Nigeria with Lagos accounting for 27.27%, Abuja and Anambra 18.18% each, Ekiti and Plateau 9.09% each and Kano, Taraba and Niger States accounting for 4.55% each.
Records have also shown that Lagos takes the lead in the incidences of building collapse. As a matter of fact, over 91 buildings have collapse resulting in the death of over 354 persons in Lagos from 2012 to date. Similarly in Abuja, about 30 buildings have collapsed from 1993 till date resulting in the death of more than 64 persons and injury of many.
The most recent occurrences of Building collapse close to DMGS Onitsha, Anambra State on the 12th of June, 2024, a School (Saint Academy) in Plateau State on Friday, 13th July, 2024 where it was reported that 22 students died and 134 injured as well as the building collapse in Kubwa, Abuja, on Saturday, 14th July, 2024 were five (5) persons were rescued is worrisome and calls for deep reflection and collaboration of all stakeholders in steming the tide. While we commiserate with all victims and families of the victims of this collapse, we want to commend the efforts of all emergency and security services for their prompt response at the time. We also want to commend the respective affected state governments for constituting a panel of enquiry to look into the various cases with a view to finding out the immediate and remote causes and preventing future occurrences. We are also aware the effort of the Department of Development Control in the FCDA in curbing this menace but we need to collaborate further and do more.
This is not the time for apportioning blames or contest of superiority within the built environment but a time for all stakeholders to unite and proffer workable and lasting solution particularly in the prevention of building collapses. All professionals within the built environment have a role to play in this. In this regard we have identified and categorized many stakeholders that we will be engaging shortly. They include in no particular order but not limited to ARCON, CORBON, ESVABON, QSRCN, SURCON, TOPREC, NICE, NIOB, NIA, NIStrucE, COMEG, ACEN, NIQS, NIS, NAEC, NATE, NISET, NITP, NMGS, SON, NBRRI, RMRDC, NEMA. SEMAs, Development Control and Building approval agencies, BCPG as well as the academia, relevant CSOs and NGOs.
The proliferation of illegal miners even within residential areas as reported in some quarters is a danger to the structural stability of buildings and we urge affected state to take urgent steps to reverse the trend. It is also time to enforce the compulsory insurance of some building under construction.
COREN has taken some steps in monitoring and prevention of the building collapse by doing the following”
COREN is poised to train and license ERM Inspectors.
COREN has reconstituted it’s Council Committee on Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) and added and additional role of Enforcement to it’s role in line with the amended COREN Act.
COREN has constituted ERM&E Task Force at regional levels including Ibadan, Port Harcourt. Enugu. Kano, FCT, Gombe and Lagos.
COREN Council has approved the establishment of Engineering Intelligence and Surveillance Whistle Blowers to ease of identifying sharp practices and distressed Buildings.
Investigation Panel is in place.
Disciplinary tribunal is also in place.
COREN has initiated effort to develop critical mass of engineering infrastructure failure and forensic investigators. Discussions are ongoing with the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) and the Chattered Institute of Fraud and Forensic Investigators (CIFFI) in this regard.
We want to encourage the general public to share useful information with us and concerned authorities as soon as signs of distress are observed in any building so that proactive steps can be taken.
We will encourage cross fertilization of ideas at all levels so that recommendations arising from previous investigations of building collapses are brought to bear in our quest for sustainable and lasting solutions.
Thank you for your Attention.
Engr. Prof. S.Z Abubakar, FNSE, FA.Eng
President, COREN
