The House of Representatives on Wednesday directed its Committees on Works, Environment, Housing, and Safety Standards to look into the frequent building collapses in Nigeria.
The decision followed the acceptance of a motion on the ‘Need to Investigate the Menace of Incessant Building Collapse in Nigeria,’ presented by Aderemi Oseni, the member for Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Oyo State.
The House stated in plenary on Wednesday that the government’s first duty is to safeguard the lives and property of its constituents, and it added that the frequent incidents of buildings collapsing in major Nigerian towns have become a serious cause for concern.
Oseni recalled that on July 12, 2024, 154 people were trapped under debris in Saint Academy’s two-storey building in the Busa Buji community, Jos, Plateau State, with 22 reported dead.
He stated that according to reports, between 2022 and July 2024, 135 building collapse incidents occurred further highlighting the need for urgent action.
Mr. Oseni continued, saying if nothing is done to urgently combat this emergency, more lives and property will be lost and destroyed, leading to a devastating impact on communities and the economy.
Following the adoption of the motion, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary session, mandated the Committee on Works to ascertain the causes of the incessant building collapses and proffer lasting solutions to curb the menace and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
