Building Collapse in Nigeria (2009- 2019), Causes and Remedies – A Review

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Odeyemi USEP: Journal of Science and Engineering Production, Vol. 1, No. 1,
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Building Collapse in Nigeria (2009- 2019), Causes
and Remedies – A Review
S. O. Odeyemi1, Z. T. Giwa2, and R. Abdulwahab3
1,2,3Department of Civil Engineering, Kwara State University Malete, Nigeria,
1samson.odeyemi@kwasu.edu.ng, 2zainabgiwa21@gmail.com
3abdulwahab.rasheed@kwasu.edu.ng
Corresponding Author: +2348054147596
Abstract
There has been incessant collapse of buildings in Nigeria which has led to the loss of
many lives. Many of these incidences were not analyzed based on their frequencies
per year, height of the structures, causes of collapse and geopolitical zones of
occurrence. Therefore, this study investigated the number of collapsed buildings in
Nigeria from 2009 to 2019, based on the factors highlighted above. Published journal
articles, conference proceedings, academic reports and newspapers were reviewed to
obtain the data used for the analysis. The results show that the leading causes of
building collapse within the period are structural defects. The highest rate of collapse
occurred in 2014 while 2016 has the highest number of lives lost. It was also noted
that the rate of collapse is predominant in the south west which recorded 34 collapses
(60.71% of the total collapse during the years under review) and 132 lives lost
(64.08% of total lives lost during the period under review). It was recommended that
the SON (Standard Organization of Nigeria) should ensure that only certified building
materials are allowed in the market, soil tests, Environmental Impact Analysis and
structural analysis should be mandatory and proper supervision of construction works
by competent professionals should be ensured.
Keywords
Building collapse, structural defect, south west, substandard materials
1. Introduction
A building structure can be defined as an artistically and aesthetically created
space that provide home for humans and other living things for their comfort
to prevent the adverse effect of the natural and artificial ecological condition
for their survival (Omenihu, Onundi, & Alkali, 2016). Building collapse is
the inability of a building component to withstand the loads it was designed

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to carry. A building is said to have failed when one or more elements of the
structure cannot perform its original function proficiently due to the
malfunction of the constituent materials thus leading to collapse. Although
Nigeria has good environment and weather condition when compared with
other countries of the world, it is still greatly affected by incessant increase in
building collapse (Omenihu et al., 2016).
Adebowale, Gambo, Ankeli, & Daniel, (2016) carried out analysis and
evaluation of the death rate involved in 47 reported cases of building
collapses verified between 2000 and 2010 and over 300 death rates were
recorded for Lagos, Abuja and port Harcourt which are the three major areas
with high rate of casualties.
Building collapse may either be due to natural disasters resulting from
earthquakes, hurricanes, floods or manmade factors also known as human
errors as a result of poor design and construction methods. There are many
factors that cause building collapse in Nigeria such as poor structural design,
poorly skilled workmen, lack of quality material and lack of quality
management (Ayeni & Adedeji, 2015).
Collapse of buildings poses great danger to lives and properties. Ayeni &
Adedeji (2015) and Babalola (2015) noted that every aspect of building
planning process from the architectural designs through the electrical,
structural, mechanical Engineering, construction and maintenance require
proper supervision and quality input by professionals in the building industry.
Thus, this study aims to identify the major causes of building collapse in
Nigeria in the last decades (2009–2019) and suggest ways of preventing such
incidence.
2. Literature Review
Buildings are structures that serve as shelters for man and his properties
which must be well conceptualized, designed and constructed to gain the
desired comfort from the environment (Odeyemi, 2012). Buildings exists to
meet the primary physical need of shelter for man, his goods, his animals and
all the mechanical and electrical equipment he requires for his present-day
existence. In recent times, Nigeria has experienced the collapse of sundry
buildings which claimed the lives of many of her citizens and damaged
properties worth millions of Naira. Though, building collapse occurs in many

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parts of the world, the rate of at which it happens in Nigeria demands an
urgent intervention.
Collapse is a state of complete failure, when the structure has factually given
way and most members have caved-in, crumbled; the building can no longer
stand as originally built (Ede, 2010). It can be seen therefore, that collapse is
a very acute state of failure. Ayininuola & Olalusi, (2004) opined that failure
can be considered as occurring in a component when such component cannot
perform its intended functions. According to Adebowale et al. (2016), the
term failure can manifest in three forms: Ultimate limit state, which results in
collapse; Serviceability limit state, which has to do with deflections and
cracks, and finally; Durability, which has to do with deterioration of the
elements.
Building collapse had been linked to either natural or man-made occurrence.
The natural phenomena include earth tremor and hurricane while man-made
occurrences consist of tragedies caused by man’s carelessness. Most collapse
buildings were found to be constructed with low quality building materials,
incompetent craftsmen rather than professionals were found to be engaged
while the existing building codes, meant to guide builders were rendered
ineffective because of lack of political will to enforce same by the Town
Planning Authorities (Ede, 2010).
Building construction should be based on achieving the stability of such
buildings. However, many clients put more interest in the aesthetics. As the
architects are accountable for the design; quantity surveyors to the cost so
also engineers ensure the stability of building structures. No matter how
small a building is, there is a possibility of failure. It is therefore a danger if
engineers are not involved in the design and construction of building
structures. The failure of a project starts with poor preparation. The
involvement of the right personnel at the right time would aid adequate
planning and ensure thriving project sustainability. Until the right reason is
given on who designs, gives approval to the designs, builds, supervises and
gives final approval upon construction, building collapse would be an issue
of concern.
Quite a lot of lives and properties have been destroyed in the several
incidents of building collapses in Nigeria, and these have impacted
negatively on the socio-economic status of the Nigerian citizens. Oseghale,

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Ikpo, & Ajayi, (2015) revealed that there was no loss of lives in 20.3% of the
occurrences of building collapse, between one and five lives were lost in
44.4% of the recorded incidents, while the worst-case condition was the
death of more than 21 people in 9.3% of incidents. The amount of death
records in building collapse incidents buttress the severity of the problem,
and in cases where deaths are not recorded, physical injuries are just as
severe. Still, any event of building collapse would eventually result in loss of
productive time which does not augur well for sustainable development goals
(Windapo & Rotimi, 2012).
Oseghale et al. (2015) opined that weakening of reinforced concrete could
occur from corrosion of the reinforcement from carbonation and chloride
ingress and cracking from overloading of the concrete structure and
construction defects. The findings of Oseghale et al. (2015) and Folagbade
(2002) revealed that poor structural design, use of substandard building
materials, non-compliance with approved building design, poor
workmanship, lack of qualified and appropriate professionals to ensure
quality construction are major causes of building collapse in Nigeria.
Oseghale et al. (2015) studied scientific and non-scientific factors that were
responsible for the incidence of collapse buildings in the South-West Nigeria.
They identified scientific factors to include building design errors, use of
poor materials and faulty design of foundations while non – scientific factors
were lack of trade training and corruption.
Ayininuola & Olalusi (2004) reasoned that building failures occurred due to
inadequate knowledge of building structural performance and unexpected
environmental phenomena. Fagbenle & Oluwunmi (2010) blamed the high
frequency of structural collapse on the low level of compliance with
approved architectural and structural drawings before construction,
ineffective monitoring apparatus used by the concerned government agencies
and the low level of awareness of the existing building regulations by clients
and contractors.
Building collapse in Nigeria was also studied by Ede (2010) and he
discovered that the ‘Nigerian factor’ such as lawlessness, corruption, and the
assumption that any Engineer in the construction industry can undertake all
forms of responsibility in the building process even without acquiring the

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basic skills required for such jobs are factors that lead to collapse of
structures.
3. Research Methodology
In this research, collapse of buildings in Nigeria between 2009 and 2019
were investigated. Published journal articles, conference proceedings,
academic reports and newspapers were reviewed to obtain relevant data such
as height of the structures, cause of the collapses, the geopolitical zones
where the structures were erected and the year that the collapse occurred after
which the data obtained were analyzed based on the aforementioned
parameters.
4. Results and Discussion
The occurrences of building collapse in Nigeria from 2009 to 2019 were
investigated. The locations, dates of occurrence, the building types, the
suspected causes of the collapse and the casualty figures were obtained and
reported in Table 1
Table 1: Some reported cases of collapsed buildings in Nigeria
for period of 10 years (2009-2019)
S/N
o
Location
Date of
collapse
Type of building
Causes of
collapse
Casualt
y figure
1
Ogbomoso, Oyo state
February
2009
Six storey Lautech
Teaching hospital
under construction
Substandard
material
Poor
supervision
5 died
2
Ogbomoso Oyo state
March 2009
Four storey building
under construction
Not reported
5 died
3
Lagos
June 2009
Two storey building
Not reported
7
4
Aghaji crescent GRA Enugu
August 2009
A fence wall
No proper
drainage
1
5
Oke padre street Itamorin
Abeokuta
18th October
2009
Uncompleted
residential building
Use of
substandard
materials
Hasty
construction
3 died
11
injured
6
Garki Abuja
November
2009
2-storey commercial
building
Structural
failure
Substandard
material
-
7
Isopakodowostreet,cairoosho
di Lagos
26th April
2010
Residential building
under construction
Use of
substandard
material
4 died
12
injured

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8
Adenike Street off new
market oniru estate VI Lagos
2nd June
2010
Uncompleted storey
building
Use of
substandard
materials
1 died
2
injured
9
Plot 702 Port-Harcourt
crescent Garki 11 Abuja
July 2010
6 suspended floors
for commercial
purpose with a
basement
Substandard
materials
Unqualified
professionals
-
10
2 Okolie street off Gimbiya
street, Abuja
11th August
2010
Uncompleted four
storey building
Substandard
materials
Disregard for
building
regulations
23 died
11
injured
11
Tinubu street VI Lagos
28thSeptemb
er 2010
4-Storey Building
Structural
defect
3
12
No 9B Adenubi close ikeja
Lagos State
13th March
2011
5- storey hotel under
construction
Poor quality
concrete
2
13
Oba ile Housing Estate
Akure
2011
Collapse of a hotel
Building under
construction
Structural
failure
-
14
Mararaba (near Abuja)
29th June
2011
Collapse of a 2-
storey Zenith Bank
Plc Expansion
Building
No
Geotechnical
investigation,
Undersized
Reinforcemen
t, Large span
slab, No
specific floor
thickness on
drawing
2 died
11
injured
15
No 6 Magaji close idumota
Lagos
July 2011
3-storey building
Not reported
18
16
Aderibigbe street, Maryland
Lagos
October
2011
5-storey block of
structure with a pent
house
Structural
failure
2
17
No 3 Ademola Awosike
Road Kubwa Extension III,
Abuja
8th August
2012
Collapse of 2-storey
building under
construction
Poor quality
material, poor
workmanship,
weak
foundation,
failure of
structural
element
3 died
9
injured
18
Gwarinpa Estate Abuja
28th January
2012
Collapse of two
storey building
Structural
Defect,
Demolition
operation
3
19
Apo Mechanic Village
Abuja
13th June
2012
1-storey commercial
building under
construction
No qualified
professional
on site, poor
supervision,
use of poor
quality
material
-
20
Hadeja Road by Ibrahim
Taiwo Road Gombe
July 2012
101 year old 3-storey
commercial/residenti
Old age, Lack
of
1

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al building
maintenance
21
Muri Okunola street Eti-Osa
LGA of Victoria Island
Lagos
4th
November
2012
Collapsed building
under construction
Structural
failure
Poor
construction
3 dead
50
trapped
22
Jakande estate in Oke-Ake-
Afa, Isolo Lagos
20th
November
2012
Collapsed of a
building (in use)
Structural
Failure,
Occupants
ignored
governments
safety
warning
3
23
!74 Corporation drive
Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi Lagos
20th
November
2012
Collapsed of a
building
Structural
Failure
-
24
Ojodu, Lagos
8th May 2013
2-storey Building
under construction
Illegal
approval
Structural
failure
1
25
Agbama area, Umuahia
15th May
2013
Building under
Construction
Not Reported
7
26
Ojodu, Lagos
May 2013
Three |storey
building
Not reported
2
27
Agege motor road, Mushin
Lagos
11thjune
2013
Three storey
building
Unauthorized
conversion
Use of quacks
1
28
Ishago road, surulere Lagos
21stjuly 2013
2-storey
uncompleted
building under
construction
Non
compliance to
regulatory
authority
warnings
Inferior
Building
materials
4
29
Ebeute-meta, Lagos
11thjuly 2013
Residential Building
Structural
Defect
7
30
Maitama, Abuja
6th
September
2013
Building Collapse
Not reported
3
31
Nyanya, Abuja
27th
September
2013
Storey Building of
Government
secondary school
Not reported
8
injured
32
Lagos Island
25th
September
2013
Three storey
building fell on a
bungalow
Not reported
2
33
Amassoma in southern ijaw
LGA of Bayelsa State
5th October
2013
Lecture theatre
building at the
permanent site of the
Niger Delta
University
Use of
substandard
material
No
compliance
with the
standard
procedures in
the use of
materials
-
34
Ologuneru in Ido LGA of
May 3rd 2014
An uncompleted 2-
Not reported

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Ibadan city
storey building
1
35
Akure, Ondo state
9th May 2014
A hostel building
under construction
No
geotechnical
report
Use of quacks
2
36
Agudama-Epie, near
Yenagoa
19th May
2014
Uncompleted Church
building
Heavy
downpour
20
injured
37
Onitsha, Anambra state
2nd June
2014
An uncompleted four
storey building
Structural
failure
4
38
Pedro police station, somolu
Lagos
30th June
2014
2-storey barrack
building
Not reported
-
39
Ejigbo, Osun state
10th July
2014
School building
complex few hours
before
commissioning
Not reported
2
people
criticall
y
injured
40
Bucknor estate, jakande-
isherioshun Rd. Ejigbo/isolo
Lagos state
30th July
2014
Collapse of three
storey building
Structural
failure
Nil
41
Osogbo, Osun state
19th August
2014
One storey building
Heavy
downpour
One
injured
42
Lagos
12th
September
2014
Collapse of a
warehouse at
synagogue church
Demolition
process
4
43
Bukuru Jos
September
2014
Abu naimi school
building collapse
Structural
defect
Illegal
conversion
10 pupil
44
Benin
30th
September
2014
Collapse of liberty
power bible church
Structural
defect
Use of
substandard
material
Nil
45
Ebute meta Lagos
15th July
2015
3-storey Residential
Building
Structural
defects
4
rescued
46
Swamp street Odunfa Lagos
island
21st October
2015
3-storey Residential
Building
Structural
defects
4
rescued
47
Lekki, Lagos
9th March
2016
Five storey Building
Under Construction
Heavy rainfall
and
foundation
failure
34
48
Mile 12, Lagos
19th March
2016
Two storey building
Structural
defects
1 dead
1
injured
49
Malete, Kwara state
2016
Three storey
building
Not reported
-
50
Lagos Island
27th August
2017
Residential Building
Heavy
downpour
Vibration
8
51
Zulu Gambari Road, Ilorin
18th August
Four Storey Building
Not Reported
3

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2017
Injured
52
Abuja
18th August
2018
An abandoned
Building
Old age
Illegal
conversion
2 Dead
3Injure
d
53
Port-Harcourt
November
19th 2018
7- Storey Building
under construction
Not Reported
15 dead
31
rescued
54
Lagos
February 3rd
2019
3-storey Building
Not reported
2 dead
1
injured
55
Ita-faji, Lagos Island
13th March
2019
3-storey building
Non
compliance to
regulatory
authority
warnings.
Old age
20 dead
41
Injured
56
Sogoye, Bode Area of
Ibadan
15th March
2019
3- Storey building
under construction
Concrete was
not allowed to
cure before
continuing the
construction.
-
Source: (Babalola, 2015; Omenihu et al., 2016)
4.1 Collapse records based on year
The records of collapse based on year are shown in Figure 1. It shows the
summaries of building collapse and casualties involved in the last decade
(2009-2019). From the graph, year 2014 recorded the highest number of
collapse and more lives were lost in 2016 with a total loss of 35 people.
Figure 1: Collapsed records based on year

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4.2 Collapse records based on geo-political zones
The records of collapse based on the geopolitical regions in Nigeria are
shown in Figure 2. It shows the summary of each geopolitical zone with the
number of collapses. From the graph, highest number of collapses is recorded
in the south west region of the country.
Figure 2: Collapse records based on Geopolitical zone
4.3 Collapse records based on Height of building
The record of collapse based on the height of building is shown in Figure 3.
From the graph, it revealed that there is high rate of 3-storey building
collapse in the last decade.

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Figure 3: Variation of building collapse with respect
to height of building
4.4 Collapse records based on causes of collapse
The record of collapse based on the causes of collapse in Nigeria is shown in
Figure 4. From the graph, the major cause of collapse in the last decade is
structural defect.
Figure 4: Collapsed based on causes of collapse

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5. Conclusion
The following conclusion were drawn from the research:
i. The rate of building collapse dropped from about 11 cases in 2014 to 2
cases in 2015 the lowest recorded in the period under review. This figure
increased to 3 in 2019;
ii. South west geopolitical zone experienced the highest number of
collapses and the highest loss of lives during the period reviewed;
iii. Three (3) storey buildings were the most affected among the collapses
recorded;
iv. Structural defect was the highest cause of building collapse during the
period reviewed.
5.1 Recommendations
The incessant collapse of building in Nigeria can be curbed or eradicated
through adherence to some of the following measures:
i. All stakeholders in the construction industry should adhere strictly to the
provisions of the building code.
ii. The SON (Standard Organization of Nigeria) should ensure that only
certified building materials are allowed in the market.
iii. Soil test Environmental Impact Analysis and structural analysis needs to
be made mandatory and to be submitted along with the building plans to
Town Planning Authorities by all building developers.
iv. Regulatory professional bodies such as the Engineering Regulatory and
Monitoring (ERM) unit of COREN and their corresponding associations
should on regular basis organize workshops for stakeholders in the
building industry to update their knowledge and highlight the dangers
and penalties associated with collapsed buildings.
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