THE ROLE OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES IN MINIMIZING BUILDING COLLAPSE IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The Nigerian experience have shown that buildings collapse have taken a lot of lives and properties hence, the need to stop the large increase in the number of buildings collapsing in the country. In the last quarter of 2011, there was a catastrophic collapse of a 5-story hospital building under construction in pape Abuja that led to loss of lives and injuries. There has been series of buildings collapse in Nigeria from North to South, West to East, the story is the same. These ugly incidences that have now become some reoccurring decimal all over Nigeria have sent a lot of Nigerians to their early raves and have equally turned hundreds to disables and also make them homeless.
Whenever this ugly monster shows its face stakeholders always look for whom to blame, because this incidences of collapse buildings has continued to “embarrass” professionals and stakeholder alike in the construction industry. Most at times, the largest proportion of the blame goes to the institutions that are responsible fro the training of professionals in the building industry are ready to accept the blame, infact, they prefer shifting the blames on each other. Even as all efforts are being made to stem the tide. There I should be urgent need to set in motion a mechanism that would ensure that the incidences of collapsed buildings was eradicated or reduced to the barest minimum.
However, it is the work of the architect and the structural engineer to ensure that the structures will not be liable to collapse in Nigeria, were considered as design errors.
Failure in design is often attributed to coincidence of factors rather than just a single cause a greater attention is being placed on design errors or inadequacies, where a major factor is the chain of events leading to collapse. The cause of the above is obviously structural and is common in Nigeria, as a result of quacks who practice as structural engineers and architects. These quacks often make errors in their assumptions regarding loading and flexural conditions, coupled with poor detailing and drafting, carelessness in treatment of constructions, improper location, inadequate attention to thermal and shrinkage effects; others are inadequate site investigation, improper planning and absence of professionals to give the technical input, improper selection of materials and lack of maintenance.
A look at most collapsed buildings, shown that often, it is the absence of building code and regulation leads to collapse, mostly due to structural issues.
According to Parker Gay, Mac Guire (1958), the negligence and ignorance constitute building collapse in Nigeria. Majority of owners of collapse buildings are illiterates who are ignorant of the existence of professionals in the building industry. Failure in building also occurs as a result of misuse of buildings. Buildings of different structural designs serve different purpose, structural design for residential building is different from industrial building.
Despite the various efforts, the rate of building collapse to date has continued unabated with two building collapsing in Lagos within a week. Government at all levels have not shown or displayed concern for the ugly occurrences. Most of design and plans are good but no monitoring and supervision. Most time, owners of buildings and other professionals want to cut corners. Howe can good quality work be guaranteed when there is no sincerity on the part of those involved and professional are not allowed to the job.
Thus in Nigeria today, all building specifications are to maintain the British Standard (BS). This gave to the Enugu Urban District Council Building Bye Law. This has undergone a lot of modification since 1954 and the most recent which was standard for the whole state.
Regrettably, the operatives noted, the increasing rate of buildings collapse witnessed in Nigeria in recent years has reach such a disturbing state that governments and federal and sate levels had to step up attention at adopting intervention measures to minimize the ugly situation in the building industry.