The Lagos state government has called on professionals to stand up against the building collapse in the state.
The call was made by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, Taken as part of the building collapse awareness workshop organized by the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to commemorate Engineering Week at the Branch Secretariat, Agege.
The Commissioner, who was introduced at the event by the Director of Technical Services, Tpl. Bola Aliu said the workshop was timely and aptly focused as the talks during this time centered on efforts to promote standards and ethical practices needed to prevent building collapse in the state.
He said that building collapses are multidimensional in terms of causes and effects, which could be social, economic and cultural, adding that building collapses have taken their toll on individual and public resources, wiping out an entire family and destroyed the social infrastructure.
Salako urged built environment professionals to come together and put an end to the threat of building collapse in the state, stressing that efforts to combat the trend must involve all stakeholders, including government and built environment professionals.
He pointed out that the Lagos state government has taken several measures to stop building collapses, including the creation of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), an agency solely responsible for development control, the use of drone technology to monitor the physical environment and to employ around 100 young graduates in various professions, including engineers, architects and urban planners.
According to the Commissioner, other measures include the regular identification and removal of distressed buildings and the automation of approval processes.
