Building Collapses Go Beyond Government — Lagos Commissioner, Tokunbo Wahab

The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has said that the recurring incidents of building collapse in the state cannot be blamed solely on government, attributing many of the cases to the use of substandard construction materials by developers.

Wahab stated this on TVC News’ Beyond the Headline on Tuesday, while responding to questions on the state’s building approval process, flooding challenges and the effectiveness of existing regulatory systems.

Host of the programme, Nifemi Oguntoye, noted that Lagos had recorded between eight and ten building collapses in the past year alongside recurring flooding, and questioned whether building approvals were fully aligned with the state’s drainage master plan.

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He also asked why such incidents continued despite the presence of regulatory agencies.

Responding, the commissioner said government agencies carry out planning approvals, material testing and other regulatory responsibilities, but developers sometimes undermine the system by deliberately using inferior materials.

“Building collapse at times goes beyond the government. Yes, you can have all your agencies in place, material testing, planning, approvals and stuff, but when people choose to use substandard stuff, is that not wickedness?” Wahab said.

He stressed that the state government does not overlook such violations, noting that the law prescribes stiff penalties for offenders.

“There are also consequences. The land gets confiscated, the developer gets charged to court,” he said.

According to the commissioner, Lagos is enforcing the relevant laws and maintaining close collaboration with other agencies responsible for regulating the built environment.

“The law has made provisions, and are we enforcing those provisions? I’ll say yes. Are we in sync with other agencies? Yes. We’re working in sync,” Wahab stated.

He, however, acknowledged that no regulatory framework could completely eliminate building collapses or other related incidents.

“But it doesn’t mean we can have a 100 per cent perfect system,” the commissioner added.