Lagos Taps Market Chiefs to Battle Subpar Construction Materials

The Lagos State Government has formally appealed to market leaders to report the sale of substandard construction materials, a critical step in its ongoing efforts to reduce the alarming rate of building collapses across the metropolis. Additionally, the state government has instructed these leaders to ensure their members are properly educated on quality assurance principles and to collaborate closely with regulatory bodies to guarantee that only approved, high-quality building supplies are traded.

This call to action was made by Olayinka Abdul, the General Manager of the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory Agency, during a recent sensitisation forum. The event, held on Friday at the Alimosho Local Government Multipurpose Hall, gathered key figures including market leaders, association executives, and various stakeholders involved in the construction value chain. Abdul, whose remarks were delivered by Abimbola Adenote, the agency’s Director of Business Development Unit 2, underscored the vital role of market leaders.

Abdul described market leaders as the "gatekeepers of quality" within the built environment, highlighting that the materials they sell ultimately form the very foundation of homes, offices, and other public structures. She strongly urged them to prioritize stringent quality assurance, foster partnerships with regulatory agencies, educate their traders on material standards, and promptly report any inferior products. Abdul’s message was clear: "We can either be part of the problem, or we can be the foundation of the solution. Let us choose to be the alliance that stopped building collapses in Lagos State."

The gravity of the situation is evident in statistics, with Lagos being responsible for over 60 percent of the more than 180 building collapse incidents recorded in Nigeria between 2005 and 2022. Reports from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild further indicate that Lagos accounts for approximately 55 percent of all reported building collapses nationwide over the past several decades. Despite these figures, Abdul expressed optimism, suggesting that stricter regulation and proactive stakeholder engagement have already contributed to a decrease in such occurrences.

She further detailed the state's proactive measures, including the implementation of the Certified Structural Integrity Programme. This initiative mandates that buildings undergo structural integrity tests every five years to qualify for Certificates of Fitness. The programme also encompasses compulsory soil testing before construction begins, destructive testing of construction materials during building phases, and non-destructive evaluations of completed structures to verify their stability and safety.