An environmentalist, Philip Jakpor, has described the collapse of a three-storey building in Lagos’ Alakija area as evidence of persistent regulatory failure in Nigeria’s construction sector.

Mr Jakpor stated this on Monday in Lagos. He said the collapse reflected a pattern recorded across the country over the past two decades.

According to him, the use of substandard building materials, poor structural designs and weak enforcement of building regulations remain major causes of collapse.

“Nigeria will continue to witness building collapses unless authorities prioritise compliance with standards and quality assurance measures,” he said.

Mr Jakpor said the federal government has the primary responsibility of regulating imported and locally produced building materials to prevent substandard products from entering the market.

He also faulted state governments for inadequate monitoring and enforcement of building regulations.

According to him, state authorities should ensure strict compliance with approved building standards throughout the construction process.

Mr Jakpor noted that the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development existed when the collapsed building was constructed.

He said the ministry should explain how the structure escaped effective regulatory scrutiny, given that contravention notices had previously been issued.

The environmentalist called for stricter enforcement of building codes and greater accountability among regulatory agencies.

He said preventing future building collapses requires coordinated action by federal and state authorities to ensure compliance with safety standards.

Nine people died in the building collapse on Thursday.

(NAN)