The Lagos State Government has firmly attributed the continuous and tragic cycle of building collapses across the metropolis to a widespread disregard for statutory laws, extreme institutional non-compliance, and the dangerous prioritization of economic gain over human life by property owners and tenants.
The state’s stance was forcefully reiterated by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, on Friday following a devastating three-storey building collapse in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, which claimed nine lives and left 27 others injured.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television’s News Night, Omotoso expressed deep frustration over why structural disasters continue to plague Nigeria’s commercial capital despite stringent existing laws and routine interventions by state enforcement teams.
According to the Commissioner, the issue is rooted not in a lack of regulation, but in a blatant culture of lawlessness exhibited by developers and residents alike.
”As to why it keeps on occurring, it’s very simple: people don’t want to obey the law,” Omotoso stated bluntly. “If you obey the law, everything will be fine. People believe in prioritizing commercial activities and livelihood over life, which is very, very wrong.”
The Commissioner revealed that the Alakija plaza, a 45-year-old structure housing several bustling businesses, had previously been officially declared structurally compromised, marked as “distressed,” and sealed off by state regulatory bodies. However, occupants covertly returned to the premises to continue their businesses before the integrity of the building completely failed.
”The house had been marked ‘distressed,’ and everybody there had to leave. In fact, at a time, it was shut down. But before the government could come in there to remove the structure, people went back in there. Once the government says a building is unsafe, I do not see why people should go in there,” he added.
While the immediate trigger in the Alakija disaster involved the evasion of evacuation orders, environmental and structural experts note that the systemic crisis of building collapses in Lagos stems from several deeply entrenched factors.
Reports from the Alakija site indicated the building’s stability was heavily compromised during a prior road expansion project that partially demolished parts of the structure without subsequent reinforcement or adding structural pillars.
Property developers frequently cut corners, utilizing low-grade concrete, insufficient iron rods, and unrefined sand to maximize profit margins.
The Commissioner strongly condemned developers who continue to erect massive structures in completely illegal and high-risk areas, explicitly citing building under high-tension electricity transmission lines.
The employment of unlicensed contractors and uncertified builders to bypass professional fees continues to undermine safety standards.
In the wake of the latest tragedy, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has issued a directive for the immediate demolition of all structurally defective buildings already marked for removal in the Alakija axis to prevent further loss of life.
Commissioner Omotoso emphasized that the state’s enforcement agencies including the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) will drastically scale up their proactive removal of compromised structures. Furthermore, property owners who flout safety directives will no longer just have their buildings sealed; they will face strict legal prosecution.
”The owners of the collapsed building are under investigation. Anyone found culpable or who frustrated government enforcement efforts will face prosecution. No one is above the law,” Omotoso warned.
The state government has urged the public to act as whistleblowers, appealing to residents to value their lives above economic convenience and vacate any structure showing visible signs of distress immediately.
