Building collapse: Nigeria records over 1,600 deaths, 650 incidents in 52 years — FG

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The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Muttaqha Darma, disclosed this on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja.

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He described the statistics as tragic, saying the figures represented lives lost and families devastated rather than mere records.

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“Since 1974, Nigeria has recorded more than 650 building collapses and over 1,600 deaths. Those are not figures; they are funerals.

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“Almost every one of those buildings had a designer, a builder and an approving officer.

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“In most cases, nobody was licensed and nobody was punished,” he said.

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Darma said the statistics, among other challenges, prompted renewed calls for stricter regulation of the construction sector.

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According to him, many collapsed buildings had designers, builders and approving officers, yet licensing and accountability were largely absent.

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Darma said the Federal Government was proposing a National Housing and Built Environment Regulation Policy to strengthen oversight in the sector.

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He said the policy would enforce the licensing of developers and agents, improve construction standards and ensure professional registration.

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The proposal also includes escrow protection for homebuyers, improved land administration and a national housing data observatory.

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Darma said the government planned to establish a National Housing Industry Regulatory Commission to enforce compliance across the sector.

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He stressed that restoring public confidence in housing required effective regulation and strict enforcement of building standards.

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The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, said weak regulatory enforcement and fragmented data had undermined housing quality and safety for years.

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He said the proposed reforms would strengthen planning, improve compliance and help prevent avoidable building collapse disasters nationwide. (NAN)

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