Major Issues of Building Collapse Manmade – Institute

The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) declared on Friday that most buildings that collapse were due to human incompetence.

Mr Akinola Mmeke, the National Publicity Secretary of NIOB, said this in an interview in Abuja, while reacting to cases of incessant building collapse across the country.

Mmeke said that buildings don’t suddenly collapse but such happens due to defects from building procurement and engagement of quacks, among other factors.

“Starting from the procurement aspect, how is the project procured by the client. Sometimes individuals that desire to go into construction approach quacks right from the design stage.

“These are people who have nothing to do with construction but took up the job of professionals and when a building design is already defective, it will affect the building at the long run,’’ he said.

He also regretted that some quacks pose as professionals just for economic gains at the expense of human lives that occupy the buildings they erect.

According to him, individuals who engage the services of quacks are accomplice to building collapses.

He explained that building constructions were supposed to be managed by builders, while other professions supervise their areas of specifications.

“The manager of a builder is the one who is in charge of the day to day instructions, implementation, while the supervisor inspects that what is designed is being implemented.

“The building construction industry is a multi-disciplinary one, there are the builders, the design experts who are the engineers and architects, there are the cost experts and you need the team to work together.

“If a builder decides to do architectural work, he is a quack in that direction and vice versa,’’ he said.

Mmeke added that the regulatory bodies and the town planning authorities should be firm in ensuring building processes were monitored from start to finish.

The publicity secretary further said that government at state levels had the Physical Planning arm that oversee and approve erection of structures.

He decried that in some cases, the system had been compromised, hence the approval of building constructions without the required evaluation.

“The regulatory authorities need to seat up to avoid quacks taking professional jobs, they have been empowered by the law but we are challenged with the enforcement of the law.

“To begin a building work, you will need approval from the State Ministry on Physical Planning and all states have that.

“In some states, if the structure is not well articulated, you will have situations where documents can be approved without scrutiny by relevant professionals.

“Most times in the states, town planners at the town planning authority level do the approval and unfortunately, they cannot check an engineering or architectural drawing because he is not licensed to do that.

“You usually find out that some of the town planning authorities do not have the relevant professionals to do the job in the department,’’ Mmeke said.

According to him, an average town planning authority should have building control, architecture, engineering and structural departments, among other building professional departments.

He stated that a good building design would have met all the criteria and can stand the test of anything in spite of the terrain it was sited.

Mmeke noted that the government played a major role in the implementation of the laws concerning building constructions, adding that Nigeria has existing laws but implementation is the challenge.

He also said that some of the building laws needed to be upgraded to the requirements of the current trend in the industry.

“States need to upgrade building laws to fit the 21st century requirements, some laws also need to be improved to meet the current realities.

“State government are meant to have a building control department in its town planning authority.

“Construction requires checking by professionals at every stage, and that is called building control which is lacking in many states’ town planning authority.

“We also need an agency to monitor that buildings erected are checked and maintained; meaning that every step on any building site, the government plays an active role,’’ Mmeke said.

The builder added that citizens needed to change the way they procure buildings and materials.

According to him, government can build unified structures, get professionals to work on the site and provide houses, while people own them with mortgage.

He said “ it is better, there will be coordination, the environment will be lovely to stay.’’

The official added that in 2006, the Federal Government approved a Building Code but the implementation was the challenge.

He, however, said that NIOB was working with sister agencies to create awareness on the need for good structures, engaging the government on the need for improved building industry, among other efforts.

“In 2006, there was a building code that was passed to harmonise the working template for all the professional bodies in the building environment to define their roles.

“The building code just need back up of the law and implementation,’’ he added.

Mmeke therefore advised people to avoid attributing building collapse to professionals because it is undermining the capabilities of professionals in the industry and projecting the country negatively.