LASBCA urges builders, others to adhere to regulations

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has urged stakeholders and builders to ensure clients build according to set rules and regulations to check incidence of building collapse in the state.

Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo, LASBCA’s general manager, who made the plea at the just concluded 13th Lagos Housing Fair held in Lagos, said the agency was created by the state government to salvage incessant building collapse in the state.

Citing the recent building collapse in India and Dhaka, Odunayo said the relevance of the agency was to advise and alert owners of structures not deemed physically fit, stressing that the agency, since inception, had not only reduced incidence of building collapse, but had also made tremendous efforts at ensuring people build right.

Kunle Awobodu, president, Building Collapse Prevention Guild, commended the organisers of the fair for providing such a platform for builders and manufacturers in the construction industry to interact and proffer lasting solutions to the issue of building collapse in the state.

According to Awobudu, one of the remote causes of building collapse is the increasing use of substandard materials, saying “however, with a fair like this, stakeholders, manufacturers, and even clients will have the opportunity to compare products and also decide on the best brands to use when constructing.

“The guild will also employ material detection devices to test materials used by builders in the construction industry in the near future.”

Odunayo further revealed that LASBCA was engaging in enlightenment campaigns, explaining that “this is because our work load will be reduced to half if Lagosians are aware and imbibe the culture of building according to the laws, rules and regulations.”

ODINAKA MBONU