By Meletus EZE
The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) has called for the re-certification and regularisation of buildings within the Lagos Island area of Lagos metropolis.
Mr Adesina Adeleke, Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the Institution, made the call on Tuesday, at a news conference on “Incessant Building Collapse in Lagos State’’ organised by the NIS.
According to Adeleke, almost all the structures within the area were built without the requisite approval plan or due regularisation with the government, and as a result, do not conform to the building specifications and standard of the location.
He urged every owner/developer in the state whose property was not covered by a valid building approval plan to regularise the property and ascertain the structural stability of their buildings.
Adeleke said that the regularisation and re-certification/validation of the buildings were necessary to ensure they conform to the purposes they are being used for and building plan of the locality.
He said the suggestion, if taken, could be a proactive step in curbing the incessant building collapse in Lagos.
The chairman commended the Lagos State Government on its current action in demolishing distressed buildings in Lagos Island.
“To prevent recurrence of building collapse, the institution has declared support for the state government’s decision to remove all the defective structures hitherto marked and served the necessary statutory notices.
“In as much as we support the government to remove the earmarked buildings for demolition, we strongly advocate a re-certification process for buildings in designated parts of the state, particularly Lagos Island.
“We discovered there is usually no geo-survey information, and where such information is available, it does not usually conform with the development earmarked for the land.
“As-built survey should form part of the requirements for the re-certification process.
“This is with a view of not just probing the structural integrity of buildings, but also to determine if the information contained in the building approval is adhered to in the development,’’ Adeleke said.
Contributing, Mr Akomolafe Ademola, Chairman, Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN), urged the state government to enact a policy that every new building in the state must be monitored from inception of foundation to completion of the construction.====NAN
