The Lagos State Government has blamed the recurring cases of building collapse across the state on the failure of some residents, developers and property owners to obey safety regulations and comply with government directives on distressed buildings.
The government said many of the incidents could have been prevented if owners and occupants had respected official warnings and vacated buildings declared unsafe by the relevant authorities.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, made the remarks on Friday during an interview on *Arise Television’s News Night* while reacting to the collapse of a multi-storey building in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area on Thursday.
The tragic incident claimed lives and left several others injured, once again raising concerns over the recurring problem of building failures in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Speaking during the interview, Omotoso disclosed that the building which collapsed had earlier been identified by the Lagos State Government as structurally defective and unsafe for human occupation.
According to him, officials had marked the building as distressed, sealed it and directed all occupants to vacate the premises pending its demolition.
However, he alleged that some people later returned to the building before it eventually collapsed.
“The house had been marked ‘distressed,’ and everybody there had to leave. In fact, at a time, it was shut down. But before the government could come in there to remove the structure, people went back in there,” the commissioner said.
Omotoso argued that the repeated disregard for government directives remains one of the major reasons building collapses continue to occur despite the state’s efforts to identify dangerous structures.
He said some property owners and occupants often ignore official warnings because they place business activities and financial considerations above public safety.
“As to why it keeps on occurring, it’s very simple: people don’t want to obey the law. If you obey the law, everything will be fine. We keep on marking all these buildings and pulling them down, but before you get to some, this kind of thing happens.
“So, it’s because people are not responsible. People believe in prioritizing commercial activities and livelihood over life, which is very, very wrong. Once the government says a building is unsafe, I do not see why people should go in there,” he stated.
The commissioner stressed that the Lagos State Government has established laws and regulatory agencies responsible for identifying unsafe buildings, sealing them and carrying out demolitions where necessary.
According to him, enforcement officers continue to monitor structures across the state in an effort to prevent avoidable disasters.
“The enforcement agencies are there to do their job, and we keep on bringing down all these buildings,” he said.
Following the latest collapse, Omotoso disclosed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the immediate demolition of other distressed buildings around the scene of the incident to eliminate further danger to residents.
He said engineers and officials of relevant government agencies had already been instructed to assess nearby buildings and remove any structure found to be unsafe.
“First, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has directed that all the buildings around the scene of the incident that are weak, that are distressed, that are not supposed to be standing, that are not fit for human habitation, they must be brought down,” he said.
The commissioner also warned that property owners who fail to comply with safety regulations would face prosecution.
He added that the government would equally sanction any public official found to have contributed to the incident through negligence, misconduct or abuse of office.
According to Omotoso, the state government would not shield any official of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) if investigations reveal evidence of wrongdoing.
“Like I said, any official of the Lagos State Building Control Agency who may have complicity in the incident, they will not go unpunished,” he stated.
He conveyed the condolences of Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Government to the families of those who lost their loved ones in the collapse and wished those receiving medical treatment a speedy recovery.
Building collapse has remained one of the major urban challenges facing Lagos, Africa’s most populous city. The state’s rapid population growth, increasing demand for housing and commercial space, and widespread construction activities have placed enormous pressure on regulatory authorities.
In some cases, buildings approved for residential use have been converted to commercial purposes without proper structural assessment, while additional floors have been added to structures beyond their original design capacity.
To address these challenges, the Lagos State Government has strengthened the activities of agencies such as the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority and other regulatory bodies responsible for enforcing building standards.
The government has also increased inspections of construction sites and frequently publishes lists of distressed buildings scheduled for demolition.
Despite these efforts, officials have repeatedly complained that some developers and property owners frustrate enforcement by ignoring stop-work notices, refusing to vacate unsafe structures or carrying out illegal construction activities without approval.
Professional bodies, including engineers, architects and builders, have consistently called for stricter enforcement of building regulations and the prosecution of those responsible for construction failures.
They have also urged members of the public to report signs of structural distress, such as deep cracks, leaning walls, sinking foundations and unusual movements in buildings, instead of waiting until disasters occur.
Urban planning experts believe public cooperation is essential if the state is to reduce the frequency of building collapses.
For many residents, the latest tragedy serves as another reminder of the importance of complying with safety directives and allowing government agencies to remove dangerous structures before lives are lost.
The Lagos State Government has maintained that it will continue to enforce building regulations, demolish distressed structures and prosecute anyone whose actions endanger public safety, insisting that the protection of lives must always take precedence over commercial interests.