A 21-storey building under construction in Ikoyi area of Lagos State collapsed on Monday.
Reports say an unspecified number of construction workers are trapped in the rubble of the collapsed building located on Gerard Road, Ikoyi, along Mosley Road.
So far, there is no report of any fatality recorded from the site.
Speaking to The ICIR, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information Gbenga Omotoso said it was too early to ascertain the number of casualties involved as emergency responders were still en route to the scene.
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“It is a 21-storey building that collapsed and it is still too early to give you any figure regarding the incident.
“All first responders are there on-site to secure the scene while the heavy-duty equipment and life detection equipment are also being dispatched,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu was not feasible as he did not pick calls or respond to text messages.
To limit the frequency of building collapse incidents in Lagos, the state government recently launched a rebranded certificate of completion and fitness.
Data from a 2018 research show that 115 residential buildings collapsed in Lagos between 2005 and 2016.
Out of 152 buildings that collapsed in Lagos between 2005 and 2020, 76.6 per cent were residential, 13 per cent were commercial and 9.4 per cent were institutional, according to an article on the Conversation.
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) is empowered with the mandate of issuing the certificate to all existing and new buildings.
The objective of the certificate is to safeguard the lives of residents and address the root causes of building collapse incidents.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.
