Recurring Building Collapse In Lagos Exposes Gaps In Enforcement, Accountability

Despite repeated government interventions, enforcement campaigns, and threats of prosecution, building collapses have continued to occur across different parts of Lagos State, raising fears, concerns, and anxiety about the effectiveness of regulatory measures aimed at protecting lives and property.

From the 21-storey building collapse in Ikoyi in November 2021 to more recent incidents in Ikorodu, Ojodu, Mushin, Ogba and Satellite Town, the recurring disasters have exposed persistent challenges involving construction standards, regulatory supervision, professional negligence and compliance with approved building plans.

Although the Lagos State Government has introduced several measures, including the sealing of construction sites, the demolition of distressed buildings, structural integrity assessments, and the prosecution of alleged offenders, the frequency of incidents suggests that building safety remains a major challenge in the state.

Statistics attributed to the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) indicate that Lagos recorded 477 of the 817 building collapse incidents documented across Nigeria between October 1971 and July 27, 2026.

The figures, cited by quantity surveyor Tomi Ogundare, showed that 325 of the collapsed buildings in Lagos, representing 68.1 per cent, were occupied structures, while 121, or 25.4 per cent, collapsed during construction. The remaining 31 incidents occurred at the end-of-life stage of the buildings.

One of the most devastating incidents occurred on November 1, 2021, when a 21-storey building under construction at 44BCD Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, collapsed, killing 46 people, including the developer, Femi Osibona. Fifteen people were rescued alive.

Following the incident, the state government constituted an independent panel of inquiry headed by town planner Toyin Ayinde to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse.

The panel reportedly received 21 memoranda, interrogated 91 persons and made 28 recommendations, 26 of which were accepted by the government.

Among its recommendations were the prosecution of Fourscore Heights Limited, the developer of the collapsed building, demolition of two adjoining 15-storey structures that failed integrity tests and disciplinary action against public officials and professionals found culpable.

The government also directed relevant professional bodies to investigate the conduct of their members involved in the project.

However, while the government announced plans to prosecute the developer, publicly available reports reviewed for this article did not establish whether Fourscore Heights Limited was subsequently arraigned or convicted.

The Ikoyi disaster came after another major tragedy at Ita-Faaji, Lagos Island, on March 13, 2019, when a three-storey building at 53 Massey Street collapsed, killing at least 20 people, many of them schoolchildren attending a school located within the structure.

The incident prompted the state government to undertake structural assessments of buildings in the area. Reports indicated that 150 buildings were identified as having structural defects and considered unfit for habitation.

Earlier, on March 8, 2016, a five-storey building belonging to Lekki Gardens collapsed, killing 34 people according to the state government, although the company disputed the casualty figure.

The incident resulted in criminal proceedings against the company’s Managing Director, Richard Nyong, and seven others over alleged criminal negligence.

However, in 2020, the prosecution informed the court that the parties had reached an agreement to settle the matter out of court. Reports indicated that the settlement involved a N100 million payment to the state government and compensation of N50 million to each identified victim’s family. Five families were reportedly identified.

Another prosecution followed the collapse of a three-storey building at Ikate-Elegushi, Eti-Osa, on May 13, 2023.

The property owner, Kenneth Okenini, was arraigned before the Special Offences Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, over alleged violations of building regulations and disobedience of a stop-work order issued by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

The government alleged that LASBCA had sealed the property on May 8, 2023, but that construction activities continued after the seal was allegedly broken.

Okenini, who pleaded not guilty, was granted bail of N500,000 with one surety in like sum. The matter was adjourned to June 14, 2023. However, the final outcome of the proceedings was not established in the reports reviewed. Despite these enforcement efforts, building collapses have continued in the state.

On May 26, 2024, a mosque on Yusuf Street, Papa Ajao, Mushin, collapsed after an excavator belonging to a construction company reportedly came in contact with the structure. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed that three people died while seven others sustained injuries.

On July 3, 2024, a three-storey residential building at Sasi Palace, off Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, collapsed, although four occupants were rescued and no fatalities were reported.

Another building collapse occurred the same day on Cameroun Street, Mushin, where a newly completed two-storey structure reportedly collapsed during heavy rainfall. Seven people were rescued alive, while five sustained serious injuries.

The Lagos State Building Control Agency reportedly disclosed that the collapsed structure and an adjoining building had earlier been marked for structural integrity tests.

In the first half of 2025, Lagos recorded at least six building collapse incidents, resulting in 14 deaths.

In a similar vein, on January 29, a two-storey building under construction in Ikota, Lekki, collapsed, killing an adult and a boy, while five injured persons were rescued. Also, on March 5, a three-storey building collapsed at Odoriwu Estate, around Elf Bus Stop, killing two people and injuring six others.

The April 19 collapse of a three-storey building housing a restaurant and bar in Ojodu-Berger claimed seven lives, while 13 people were rescued.

Other incidents occurred along Ishaga Road, Mushin, on May 18; Obafemi Awolowo Road, Ota-Ona, Ikorodu, on May 27; and Craig Street, Shomolu, on June 16.

Following the Ikorodu incident, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, reportedly said preliminary investigations indicated that the property owner failed to obtain the required building permits and that substandard materials were used in the construction.

The incidents continued in 2026, with a classroom block at Odokekere High School, Ikorodu, collapsing on January 15.

The state government disclosed that the building had earlier been identified for demolition and reconstruction. No casualties were recorded, while pupils were directed to move to neighbouring schools.

In March, a four-storey building housing Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College at 11 Adu Street, Aguda, Ogba, collapsed shortly after students, teachers and other occupants had been evacuated.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that no lives were lost. The spokesperson for LASBCA, Ademuyiwa Adu, told Journalists that renovation work had been ongoing at the property and that the agency was investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse. He also indicated that the building owner and school proprietors could face prosecution over alleged unauthorised renovation.

However, subsequent reports establishing whether anyone was arraigned over the incident were not found.

On June 25, 2026, a three-storey commercial building at Alakija Bus Stop, Satellite Town, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, collapsed, killing nine people, while 27 others were rescued.

During an inspection of the site, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, disclosed that the building had previously been identified as distressed and marked for evacuation.

He alleged that some occupants returned to the building after initially appearing to comply with the evacuation directive.

Omotoso said the government would investigate the incident, demolish other distressed structures in the neighbourhood and prosecute property owners found culpable.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also directed LASBCA to conduct structural integrity assessments of adjoining buildings and ensure compliance with relevant building regulations.

Beyond investigations and demolition exercises, the state government has introduced additional measures to strengthen construction monitoring and enforcement.

At a 2026 ministerial press briefing, the General Manager of the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL), Engr. Olayinka Abdul, disclosed that the agency had sealed 827 construction sites within 12 months as part of efforts to prevent building failures.

She said the agency also issued 3,181 notices to property owners and developers and conducted 822 compliance operations during the period.

According to her, the government introduced an electronic Materials Testing Management System to improve transparency in the testing of construction materials.

Other measures include mandatory testing at foundation, structural frame and roofing stages, GPS-based monitoring of registered construction sites, accreditation of private testing laboratories and a whistleblower mechanism for reporting suspicious construction activities.

the foundation, structural frame, and roofing stages, GPS-based monitoring of registered construction sites, accreditation of private testing laboratories,

Abdul also disclosed that the agency had established a rapid-response mechanism to attend to complaints within 48 hours. The government had earlier introduced a Certified Accreditors Programme in 2025 to strengthen professional oversight of building projects. It also introduced regulations restricting construction activities to daylight hours.

However, professionals in the built environment have continued to call for stricter enforcement of existing regulations and greater accountability among property owners, developers and construction practitioners

Speaking recently at a webinar organised by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild’s Ikoyi-Obalende Cell, the Vice Chairman of the Lagos branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, James Sonde, called for effective implementation of the National Building Code and adequate enforcement of building regulations.

He stressed that the existence of regulations would achieve little without effective monitoring and sanctions against violators.

Similarly, Third Vice President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, David Majekodunmi identified weak enforcement, the use of unqualified practitioners, substandard materials, poor workmanship and inadequate professional supervision as factors contributing to building failures.

Meanwhile, the President of the Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers, Dr. Taiwo Elegba, called for mandatory soil investigations before construction and proper certification of architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical designs by registered professionals.

Former Second Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr. Monday Ubani, also called for a stronger system of accountability, arguing that the country had the technical expertise and standards required to construct safe buildings but needed more effective enforcement.

For residents of Lagos, particularly tenants who often have little knowledge of the structural condition of properties they occupy, the continued occurrence of building collapses remains a serious concern.

The incidents have also renewed questions about the effectiveness of routine inspections, the monitoring of buildings already marked as distressed, the prosecution of erring property owners and the accountability of officials responsible for enforcing construction standards.

While the state government has repeatedly announced measures to address the problem, the recurrence of collapses suggests that more attention may need to be devoted to preventive enforcement, timely evacuation of unsafe buildings and transparent prosecution of those found culpable.

Until building regulations are consistently enforced and offenders held accountable, the safety of residents and property users across Lagos will remain a major public concern.