To combat building collapse in Lagos State, the government has joined forces with private sector experts to ensure effective supervision and management.
According to a statement from the Deputy-Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Oluwole Sotire, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the state has engaged in a stakeholder meeting with professionals from the construction industry.
The Certified Accreditor Programme, comprising a consulting firm or a consortium consisting of registered consultants specializing in building, architecture, urban planning, geoscience, and engineering, has been established.
This program aims to involve private sector professionals as stakeholders in regulating the built environment. These partners will be referred to as Certified Accreditors.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the initiatives, namely the Certified Accreditor Programme and the Certificate of Structural Integrity Programme, were developed based on recommendations to involve experienced and trusted private professionals in the regulatory process within the industry.
Sotire emphasized that the state government adopted a participatory approach in developing these initiatives. The engagement with professionals in the construction industry followed similar meetings with leaders of professional organizations and other stakeholders.
He expressed confidence that involving private professionals in the building approval and regulatory processes would bring about greater efficiency and significantly reduce the occurrence of building collapses.
Gbolahan Oki, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), urged professionals in the construction industry to embrace these initiatives as a collaborative measure. He emphasized the importance of broadening participation and safeguarding the integrity of Lagos State’s built environment sector.
Oki further noted that both professionals and the entire state stood to benefit from taking ownership of these initiatives. This includes restoring confidence in the system and enhancing the long-term sustainability of the built environment.
Others who spoke at the event include the General Manager, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, LASPPPA, Kehinde Osinaike, former Senior Special Assistant to the Commissioner on Physical Planning, Dokun Roberts, and the Consultant to the Ministry on CAP, Aileme Unuigbe.
