FG to Launch National Building Code Advisory Committee to Tackle Collapses

The Federal Government is set to inaugurate the National Building Code Advisory Committee as part of renewed efforts to curb the persistent problem of building collapses across Nigeria.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, disclosed the plan during the National Building Safety and Structural Integrity Initiative (NBSSII) workshop held yesterday in Lagos.

The event, organised by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, served as a national campaign to promote safer building practices.

Represented by Permanent Secretary Dr. Shuaib Belgore, Dangiwa lamented that poor design, substandard materials, and weak enforcement of building codes remain the leading causes of structural failures nationwide.

“Every building collapse is not just about the lives lost but also about the broken trust between government, professionals, and citizens,” he said.

The NBSSII, he explained, will involve a nationwide audit of structures, a uniform inspection and certification system, stricter code enforcement, and the deployment of an e-GIS mapping platform for real-time inspection reporting. The Advisory Committee’s inauguration follows the recent formation of a Ministerial Task Team to probe building failures.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu commended the federal-state collaboration, citing the state’s Certified Structural Integrity Programme (CSIP) as a model for other states. “We must build for life, not collapse,” he emphasised, urging collective responsibility among professionals, regulators, and the public to ensure buildings are safe, resilient, and sustainable.