Buildings collapse: Enforce monitoring of structures to prevent reoccurence — Surveyors urge FG
By Ogaga Ariemu
Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), has said Federal Government should constitute enforcement monitoring team made of professional surveyors to forestall reoccurence of buildings collapse across the country.
The apex body for surveyors in Nigeria also urged the government to put in place efficient desk offices for surveyors in Ministries, Department and agencies.
This disclosure was made by the President NIS, Surv., Dr. Kayode Oluwamotemi during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Oluwamotemi stated that lives and properties would have been averted if functional Structures Monitoring Laws were in place in Nigeria.
As a silver lining to buildings, bridges, other structures collapse in Nigeria, Surv. Dr Kayode recommended that relevant laws should be established that will ensure consistent monitoring.
He also advised that only professional Surveyors should be engaged in construction sites.
According to him, “Most structures collapse due to the fact that persons without requisite training often take the task of Surveyors upon themselves, this accounts for the absence of names Survey firms on the signposts at constructions sites.
“In line with global best practice, structures are supposed to be monitored for deformation and non-conformance with design in-site and upon completion.
“This is also sustained for the entire lifespan of such structures. The Ikoyi building collapse perhaps would have been averted if the structure was monitored on floor completion basis using LIDAR technology which members of our professional bodies are trained to provide.
“We are also imploring government to establish desk offices for Surveyors in Ministries, Departments and Agencies under whose care are all these structures such is the practice in developed countries, this will create room for early warning for impending disasters and how to mitigate them. We are equally imploring private developers to note that only surveyors with relevant qualifications can give them best survey input to their projects to avoid loss of capital and lives,” he said.
Recall that on Monday, November 1, 2021, a 21-storey building collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos State. Over 40 bodies were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building. There were also survivors. Within same period another building collapsed in Lagos.
The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) is one of the oldest organized Professional bodies in Nigeria with members across different sectors.
