Professionals in the building construction sector have said the country may continue to witness building demolitions and collapse if developers fail to comply with regulations and building code.
They lamented that in governments’ efforts for urban renewal projects, many landlords have become tenants while spaces that used to be occupied by houses now lie in rubles.
In their separate reactions to alarming rates at which houses, shops and other landed property are being demolished by authorities across the country, the experts including land surveyors and estate managers, hinted that despite the losses defaulters suffer, many developers are hell-bent in constructing buildings illegally.
Findings by The Point revealed that thousands of houses, shops and other landed projects have been bulldozed by the Federal Capital Territory and some state governments for being sited at wrong places and without permits.
For instance in Lagos, several buildings and markets have been demolished after they were marked as distressed and dilapidated structures by the state government.
Also at Banana Islands, the state government had marked some illegal buildings for demolitions saying the developers violated building regulations, safety risks and encroached on the area without authorization.
Reacting, a member of the Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria, Olusegun Babatunde, attributed proliferation of illegal buildings to weak policies and shortcuts by land owners.
Babatunde explained that lack of compliance to building codes and layouts by the government has contributed to poor urban planning, flooding and lack of access roads in most communities.
According to him, most landlords don’t give setbacks when building, adding that they only patronize quacks instead of engaging professional surveyors, planners and builders for their structures.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Osun State Chapter, Mojeed Alade said the non-compliance of building code has been worsening the housing deficit in the country, noting that many houses are being demolished for not meeting standards when several Nigerians are homeless.
He called for a change of attitude by all stakeholders, lamenting that wanton scarce resources are being wasted through demolitions.
“The demolition of buildings in Nigeria is truly on the rise. It is indeed an irony that amid shortage of housing for citizens, governments are busy demolishing structures. The fact is that the government cannot keep watching when people are distorting the urban plan.
Many will just buy lands and build anyhow they like. That is not the right thing to do. From scratch, those who acquired lands and intend to develop it should engage professionals such as surveyors, town planners and builders. They will ensure that the buildings are not wrongly sited and all necessary checks will be carried out.
“It is the rainy season now and there will be flooding because many people have built on water channels. I agree that governments, professionals and the community people have to share because we all have roles to play to ensure that our country is safe. Some government officials give approvals to where people are not supposed to build. Let everybody know the right thing to do and government agencies should do the right thing in issuing approvals. Don’t build on our roads and ensure you age professionals,” he advised.
The Publicity Secretary of the NIS, Ayinla Oyewale, attributed recent building collapse to poor planning in Nigeria, adding that quack builders use substandard products in a bid to cut cost and make huge profits.
“When most Nigerians are opening up their lands, the government is not even aware and professionals are not engaged. That is why we are having demolitions everywhere in the country now because people don’t engage the services of professionals. We are also having flood concerns every year because people develop land indiscriminately without carrying planners and surveyors along.
“Surveying can shape urban development. It has a role to play. I want to urge Nigerians to always seek professional guidance and advice before embarking on development of their land. That is why GRAs are well planned, professionals were contacted. Involve us from the beginning. That is why you see some communities and areas locked up without sufficient roads,” the surveyor said.
