BUILDING COLLAPSES IN NIGERIA – HOW ESTATE SURVEYORS AND VALUERS CAN STEM THE UGLY TIDE

By ESV Ighorodje Oghenekohwoeya Obukohwo

The Hook:
As Nigerians continue to grapple with the rising incidence of building collapses across the nation and the aftermath effects – loss of human lives, investments and disruption of economic activities. Professionals in the built environment, especially Estate Surveyors and Valuers are emerging as major players in ensuring that safety, quality and compliance in the building construction industry are enforced and adhered to strictly, by developers across the country.

An Emergency That Requires Radical Measures:
The real estate sector is highly sensitive to economic vagaries. Therefore, it has become absolutely necessary to develop strategies to forestall further loss of lives and huge capital investment from recurring building collapses, especially given that the majority of buildings and their contents in Nigeria remain uninsured.

The National Building Code therefore stipulates the required standard for buildings in Nigeria. The code is aimed at reducing building collapse, fire outbreaks, and promoting maintenance culture. Furthermore, the code encourages the use of professionals, tested or standard materials in the building sector and improvement on the overall quality of the built environment. In spite of the existence of this well-intentioned document, the building sector has continued to witness this phenomenon at an unprecedented rate, resulting in tragic loss of lives and investments.

The creation of a structurally sound building involves the collaboration of several professionals, of which the Estate Surveyors and Valuers play a vital role actualizing their clients’ aspiration by ensuring that standards are not compromised. Their professional inputs span from conceptualization to post-construction stage.

Why Do Buildings Still Collapse Even After the National Building Code Was Introduced?
Building collapses may occur due to a wide range of complex and interrelated factors which can be classified as – Human Error, Substandard Materials and Environmental issues. Under these classifications, factors such as poor architectural and structural designs, use of substandard materials and the engagement of quacks by developers affect the overall structural integrity and durability of buildings. Others include the weak enforcement of building regulations by the appropriate Government Official, corruption in approval processes, fire outbreaks, and lack of proper site inspections before the commencement of construction activities. In addition, collapse may occur as a result of failures in the foundation especially in weak soils, overloading of structures beyond the original design, culture of cutting cost at the expense of standards, poor maintenance culture, insects infestation and soil erosion all play major roles.

Pre-Construction: Laying a Solid and Safe Foundation
At this stage of property development, the Estate Surveyors and Valuers push for safety in buildings by offering professional advice. By encouraging clients to conduct geotechnical surveys on land intended for development, they help ensure that appropriate foundation systems are selected, thereby reducing the likelihood of structural failure. As noted by Ogunba (2021), “the Estate Surveyor and Valuer can play a pivotal role by advising clients to conduct geotechnical surveys on any parcel of land earmarked for building development. This ensures the deployment of suitable foundation types, thereby mitigating the risk of structural failure and building collapse”

Project Management: Guaranteeing Design Integrity
As project managers, Estate Surveyors and Valuers play a crucial role in mitigating building collapse ensuring that architectural drawings and structural designs are error-free. They achieve this through close coordination with Architects, Engineers, and other Consultants, conducting thorough design reviews, verifying compliance with building codes and client’s requirements (Olusola et al., 2018; Akinyemi, 2020). By identifying design discrepancies early, they prevent construction errors that could compromise structural integrity (Ayodele & Alabi, 2019). This proactive oversight helps eliminate weak points in building process, significantly reducing overall safety and durability (Ogunba & Ajayi, 2021).

Construction Phase: Limiting Cost-Cutting and Material Failures
The use of sub-standard materials and overloading structures beyond their original design during construction are major contributors to building collapse in Nigeria today. Developers often resort to these practices in an attempt to reduce costs and increase return on investment, thereby compromising structural integrity and safety. Estate Surveyors and Valuers, therefore, play a vital role in advising clients against such anomalies and ensuring that construction standards are strictly adhered to, in order to forestall future mishaps.

Post-Construction Phase: Securing Through Maintenance
Buildings deteriorate rapidly in the absence of a good maintenance culture. Estate Surveyors and Valuers, in fulfilling their property management responsibilities, conduct regular routine inspections of buildings under their portfolio. This affords them the opportunity to identify structural defects such as cracks in walls, foundation settlement, corrosion of reinforcement, and water infiltration-issues that, if left unattended could escalate into catastrophic building collapse. Through timely identification of remedial actions, they play a critical role in preserving building integrity, extending its lifespan and safeguarding lives and investment.

In conclusion, the active involvement of Estate Surveyors and Valuers in the different phases of property development and management of the final product is vital to enforce quality control, promote compliance with building regulations, and ultimately reduce the incidence of building collapse in Nigeria today and in the future.