3rd December, 2020
By Funmilola Olukomaiya
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) on Thursday 3rd December 2020, staged the 2020 edition of its Public Enlightenment and Engagement Programme.
The event which was tagged “Prevention of Building collapse: A Collective responsibility”, was held at Hotel Lawa Event Center, Igbosere Road, Lagos Island.
Giving her welcome address, Mrs Abiola Kosegbe, General Manager, LASBCA, reiterated the agency’s commitment to enforcing Building Control Regulations while ensuring that prospective developers/owners seek authorization to commence construction after obtaining their building permits, certification of various stages of building works to completion, among others to discourage haphazard and illegal building development by removing them at infancy to encourage structurally stable construction.
Kosegbe emphasized that the event was organised the recognise the collective need to put heads together with stakeholders present and to be able to come up with ideas and strategies to reduce the menace of building collapse to the barest minimum if not zero.
She added that the present management of the agency under the leadership of the commissioner continues to come up with reforms and initiatives geared towards the prevention of building collapse and reforming of the Built Industry to meet the global best practices.
“This includes the issuance of our Green Check Sticker and Comprehensive Site log book. The immediate benefit of the LASBCA Green Check Sticker Initiative is that all properties without the stickers can easily identifiable by both the general public and LASBCA for necessary enforcement for compliance.
“In a similar vein, we continue to put vigor into our Post Construction Audit of existing structures in order to ensure quick response to the structural stability and fitness for use of existing buildings. This is primarily to ensure that buildings are safe and habitable in order to avert the spate of collapse of structures and provide a much-needed health check on all buildings with the state.
“We as a people desire a better Lagos City; a city where everything works. This is attainable when the government and its people work together.
“It is in this regard that we are creating the right kind of enlightenment, education and public engagement with the general public, particularly, the stakeholders in the built environment. We implore you all to encourage your clients to obey the laws, build right and build well for a greater Lagos City,” she said.
Dr Idris Salako, the Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, in his keynote address said the event was of great importance for the articulation of the state’s policies, plans and strategies put in place to achieve her vision of zero tolerance for building collapse.
According to Salako, the choice of Lagos division of the state, particularly Lagos Island Local Government and its environs as the venue of the event couldn’t have been more appropriate due to the spate of building collapse experienced over the years.
Therefore, the need to avail the residents of the area the opportunity to understand Physical Planning and Building Control Regulations, in order to forestall building collapse, as well as, encourage a better understanding of the Lagos State Regional Planning and Development (Amended) law of 2019 is long overdue.
Salako stressed that, “The Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development (Amended) law of 2019 is aimed at achieving zero tolerance to incidences of building collapse, illegal development, non-conforming development among others, with a view to ensuring better physical environment for sustainable development.
“Sustainable physical development requires the participation of every Lagosian whose cooperation is needed for the successful implementation of the existing laws and regulations.”
He added that, “Lagos with a current population of about 25 million, is facing challenges of Rapid Urbanization, Environmental Degradation and Housing congestion.
“Therefore, addressing these issues requires proper urban planning, effective and efficient enforcement drive to make the city inclusive, environmental friendly, economically vibrant, culturally meaningful and safe for all.
“As a committed and responsive administration headed by Gov. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, we are leaving no stone unturned towards ensuring that we put regulations in place that will put an end to building collapse. That is why as individuals and groups, we need to partner with the government.
“I want to implore our royal fathers, professionals and community leaders to report incidences of illegal developments in your areas to our district offices in various Local Government Areas across the state.
“We are more committed as a government to sustain the tempo of “build right and build well” slogans in truth and in deed as encapsulated in the T.H.E.M.E agenda of the state government.”
The event had in attendance representatives of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, Proffesional Bodies in the Built Industry and designated representatives of CDAs/CDCs.
Also in attendance was Baale of Yaba, Baale Oluwole Odulana, Builder Mubarak Gbajabiamila who represented the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), DSP Armstrong who represented the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce on Special Offences, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi and more.
Speaking with newsmen at the sideline of the event, the Dr Idris Salako, the Honourable Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development said on the issue of synergy, the government alone cannot do it as the government has enabling laws and regulations to manage the environment in a sustainable and reasonable manner.
He said without the population of the people and the actual players who are the developers who develop on this part of the state, there can be no way forward.
According to him, “The success rate will be minimal, that’s why we are having this stakeholders engagement to talk to them, to let them know the relevant portions of our laws that deals with construction and how best we can work together, collaborate to achieve that state of our dream, the state we all aspire to have. We are here for synergy and collaboration.”