The Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, has reorganized and circulated features of over 435 defective buildings with structural problems in 2023.

Mr Olusegun Olaoye, Director of Public Affairs, LASBCA, informed journalists in Lagos, on Tuesday, that publishing the list of faulty structures in national dailies was to educate the building public and motivate residents to move out.

Olaoye was reacting to the trend of faulty buildings, and measures taken by the government to enhance urban planning and development control in the state.

The director hinted that the agency had strengthened its surveillance role in addressing building collapses. He noted that the challenge was being combated by cracking down on illegal construction and unqualified workers.

According to him, the remote causes of building collapse include, but are not limited to, the use of quacks in the building and construction industries, use of low quality materials, non-adherence to building rules, old age of structures etc.

He said that to successfully control the menace of building collapse, the state government, through the state building control agency, has hardened its monitoring unit to successfully monitor building construction in the state to make sure that quality materials are used by the building public.

Similarly, Olaoye revealed that the agency had prioritized the swift recognition and removal of buildings at risk of collapse, ensuring prompt action.

According to him, the agency was making use of non-destructive testing to evaluate the structural integrity of buildings and recognizing potential issues before they increase rapidly. He stressed the agency’s dedication to upholding important construction standards that would reflect a strong political will to prioritize safety.

He noted that the agency had also strengthened its oversight role to guarantee that buildings were constructed strictly according to accepted plans to meet all safety regulations.

“We are equally strengthening our whistle-blowing technique to report buildings with structural faults and buildings constructed without requisite permits,” the director reiterated.