Following the collapse of a seven-story building in Banana Island, Ikoyi, on April 12, 2023, the Lagos State government has directed that all developments on Banana Island be put on hold pending a comprehensive audit by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
The audit will be extended to other estates and gated communities, the government added. The collapsed building, which was under construction, was unapproved by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and rescue workers continue to search for survivors or any other missing persons. LASBCA's General Manager, Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, has ordered private security operatives to leave the site.
The Building Collapse Prevention Guild has updated its record of building collapse in Nigeria from 1974 – 2023 to 552, with Lagos State accounting for 59.06% of the cases. The immediate past President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Kunle Awobodu, called for the Lagos authorities to arrest those culpable in the structural failure and prosecute them if found wanting.
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