Real Estate Stakeholders Call for Urgent Reforms to Curb Building Collapse
The tragedy of building collapse in Lagos which has become a recurring decimal came to the fore as stakeholders brainstorm on the consistent collapses recorded in Lagos State, with recent one which occured Thursday, 3rd July, 2025.
Stakeholders from across Nigeria’s building industry assembled at the University of Lagos for the Professor Leke Oduwaye-Adron Homes Urban Development Dialogue, a high-level forum aimed at addressing regulatory and construction lapses fueling the crisis.
Themed: “Recurring Building Collapse in Lagos: The Challenge of Regulatory Oversight and Construction Practices,” the dialogue was organized by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP), University of Lagos, in collaboration with real estate giant, Adron Homes.
In his goodwill remarks, the Group Chairman of Adron Group, Sir Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing called for accountability across the building sector, while describing building collapse as a “tragedy that has become far too familiar.”
Aare Adetola Emmanuelking highlighted that such disasters are not acts of fate but direct results of human negligence, greed, and systemic failure.
According to him, “Buildings do not collapse by accident. They collapse because somewhere along the chain of planning, approval, construction, or supervision, individuals choose to compromise.”
Group Chairman of Adron Group cited what he termed the three uncompromising actions needed to combat the menace as Verification, Validation, and Control.
He affirmed that all actors within the building industry must be held to the highest standards of competence and ethical responsibility.
The event featured a guest lecture by Tpl. (Dr.) Idris Salako FNITP, former Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, who drawing from his vast experience gave analysis of the root causes of building collapse in Lagos.
Dr. Salako identified critical gaps such as weak enforcement of development control regulations, poor coordination between regulatory agencies, and widespread disregard for approved building plans by some developers as some of the root causes of building collapse in Lagos.
Dr. Salako lamented how political interference, corruption, and the proliferation of quack professionals continue to erode the integrity of the building sector.
He harped on the urgent need for capacity building among regulatory bodies, proper training and certification of artisans, and the full digitalization of building approval processes to ensure transparency and efficiency.
The dialogue also featured keynote addresses by Tpl. Tunji Odunlami FNITP, Ogun State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, and Professor Ayo Omotayo, Director General, National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
Both speakers acknowledged the need for proactive urban planning, robust regulatory frameworks, and collaboration between government, professionals, and private developers to create safer cities.
Other dignitaries present at the event include: Tpl. Waheed Kadiri FNITP, PPNITP, Past President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (Chairman of the event), Professor Modupe Omirin, Dean, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, UNILAG, Dr. Taofik Salau, Head of Department, DURP, UNILAG, and Dr. S.A. Adeyemi, Chairman, Organizing Committee, among others.
Participants unanimously advocated for urgent reforms to curb building failures, the need for professionalism, transparency, and stricter enforcement of building regulations.
The dialogue is expected to kick start a renewed policy debates and strategic actions toward ensuring that Lagos, and indeed Nigeria, builds safe, resilient, and sustainable urban spaces where people are protected, and dreams can flourish.
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