Sanwo-Olu to restore confidence in built sector

The Governor of  Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, has announced his administration’s commitment to restore confidence in and regulate the built sector.

In the past one month, Lagos has suffered from collapsed buildings which has resulted in many loss of lives with countless injured.

Sanwo-Olu assured all stakeholders of the government’s continued collaboration with experts and professional bodies to ensure that due process is followed in the construction of buildings.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Mr Obafemi Hamzat, the Governor gave the assurance at the opening of the Y2021 Conference and 34th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers held on Tuesday.

He said, “We all agree that the monumental tragedy of the collapsed building at Gerald road, Ikoyi where 50 lives were lost could have been avoided.

“The whole issue of building collapse is an indication of the urgent need  to take a very holistic view of the entire process of building construction including the competence and professional conduct of those involved in construction, as well as the effectiveness of regulatory framework for appropriate remedial measures to avert future occurrence.”

He added,  “I can assure you that the government of Babajide Sanwo-olu  is going to do everything possible. The truth is it could have been anybody.

“Guidelines that impact the construction of buildings must be drawn and adhered to so that we can prevent structural defects. We are not saying this as a wakeup call but a commitment to ensure that the right steps are taken place and improve confidence in the built sector. We must ask of you to help us strengthen the regulatory provision that would ensure due processes are followed in the construction of buildings.”

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In his welcome address, the President, Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers, Kehinde Osifala, said the theme of the conference was carefully chosen to educate its members and stakeholders on the capabilities of technology and how it relates to the future of structural engineering.

He said, “The state of building collapse in the country is embarrassing and worrisome, we have more than enough data on the subject.

“We have submitted a preliminary report of our investigation to COREN and have also submitted a memorandum to the Lagos State panel of enquiry of the collapsed building. We would not be discussing further on the issues in order not to jeopardise the outcome of the investigation.”