The Nigerian Government has inaugurated a 14-man task team to address the growing crisis of building collapses nationwide.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, described the frequent incidents of collapsed buildings as a national embarrassment.
He lamented that the situation had resulted in the tragic loss of lives, injuries, destruction of property, and deep psychological trauma for many families. According to him, the government could no longer afford to allow the crisis to continue unchecked.
The minister explained that the reconstituted and expanded task team followed the submission of a detailed report by an earlier committee led by renowned architect, Maji Alkali.
That report included 18 key recommendations aimed at tackling the root causes of structural failures in the country. To ensure comprehensive implementation and accountability, Dangiwa announced that regulatory and professional bodies in the built environment had been included in the newly expanded task team.
“This includes the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria; Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria; Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria; Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria; and Surveyors Council of Nigeria.
“Others are the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria, Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria, and the Building Collapse Prevention Guild,” he said.
The minister stressed the cross-disciplinary nature of ensuring building safety and highlighted the importance of collaboration among architects, engineers, surveyors, town planners, builders, and estate valuers.
“The ministry will support the committee fully, and we are committed to integrating its recommendations into national housing and urban development policies,” the report by Punch newspaper quoted the minister as saying.
He gave the committee’s Terms of Reference as recommending phased strategies for implementing the 18 proposals made by the earlier committee.
Dangiwa assured the team of the ministry’s full support and pledged that the committee’s recommendations would be incorporated into Nigeria’s broader housing policy frameworks.
GIK/APA