115 building collapses in Lagos over a ten-year period

A startling 115 building collapse events have been reported in Lagos State during the past 10 years.

According to information obtained from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild’s Lagos State chapter, this is the case.

In the last ten years, the biggest number of building collapse occurrences were reported in 2020 and 2022, each with 20 separate cases, according to information our correspondent received.

2019 and 2013 came in second and third place, with 17 and 16 unique incidents, respectively.

The two years 2016 and 2018 recorded a total of three incidents throughout the two years, which was the lowest number of building collapse incidents during this time.

Numerous building collapse instances resulted in no fatalities, but others saw dozens of people die under the debris, most notably the fall of a 21-story building in Ikoyi’s Gerard Road on November 1, 2021.

Over 50 people were trapped inside the collapsed 21-story building owned by Fourscore Heights Limited, including the company’s managing director, Femi Osibona; his friend, a Nigerian businessman living in the United States; his personal assistant, Onyinye Enekwe; and clients.

According to reports, the tragedy caused the deaths of about 45 people. While other artists who were working in the building prior to its collapse could not be found beneath the rubble, nine survivors were pulled from the wreckage.

The Lekki Gardens building collapse, which happened on March 8, 2016, claimed at least 35 lives in the process. It followed the Ikoyi building collapse in terms of the reported number of casualties.

As opposed to the official count of 34 casualties, Lekki Gardens Estate alleged that five persons perished in the incident following the fall.

According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, there were 24 complete building collapses, six partial collapses, and one imminent collapse in Lagos between January and July 2022. In the past two years, building collapse accidents have claimed the lives of 84 residents of Lagos.

The Yaba building collapse, which took place on February 12, 2022, was one of the noteworthy building failures in the state this year.