Realtor and Chief Executive Officer of Riel Homes, Dr. Kola Adepoju, has blamed the increasing incidence of building collapses across Nigeria on investors posing as property developers, saying many prioritise profits over safety and engage unqualified professionals to execute projects.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Sunday, Adepoju argued that the recent building collapses in Lagos and Port Harcourt’s problem goes beyond structural defects, alleging that regulatory failures, compromised officials, developers, landlords and even occupants all contribute to the recurring tragedies. “One of the major problems we have is that investor is playing a role of a developer. So an investor is more thinking majorly on the return on investment. A developer’s concern is not a return on investment. A developer’s concern is I want to develop And that investor thinks he’s a developer and he brings some quack engineers together.”
He explained that investors frequently seek to maximise profits by exceeding approved building specifications, a practice he said contributes significantly to building failures. “An investor comes in to say, I bring you 1 billion. I want to get 2 billion. So if going to the floor will not give me that 2 billion, you got to go one floor more.”
Adepoju also accused government officials of enabling developers who violate approved building plans. “I will tell you that I’m sure that the guy, the developer will never go on to another floor or do another thing that is beyond what has been approved if he doesn’t have anybody within the government system that is backing him. Whether a young guy, whether a big shot in the government, there will be somebody.”
He argued that repeated cases where developers ignored stop-work orders pointed to regulatory compromise rather than mere negligence. “It is not possible, you cannot do that if you don’t have a sort of backing when it comes to the regulatory authorities.”
Adepoju further alleged that weak regulation extends beyond construction sites to the importation of building materials. “It means that some things, some compromises have happened some compromises have happened.”
He tressed that poor-quality construction materials also contribute to structural failures. “There are different types of iron you want to build in this country now… there are 14mm of iron that you will use that when you test it is, it’s not even up to 10mm.”
On the collapse of the building in Alakija, Lagos, Adepoju argued that warning signs would have been visible long before the structure gave way, insisting that buildings do not collapse without prior indications. “A building will not just fall. In fact, for a building to just fall like that, it will have been given, you will have been hearing some sound, you’ll have been seeing some places giving way, you will have seen it, it will show.”
He maintained that occupants also have a responsibility to leave buildings showing obvious signs of structural distress. “I think an average Nigeria does not have value for their lives.”
While acknowledging that government agencies have responsibilities, Adepoju said individuals must also take safety warnings seriously instead of relying on faith when faced with obvious danger. “God has helped you know for you to see the cracks because actually you can see the cracks now and immediately the house falls.”
The realtor also criticised the conversion of residential buildings into commercial premises without adequate structural reinforcement, saying the increased occupancy places excessive pressure on buildings never designed for such use. “You cannot convert a residential to a commercial without putting proper structures in place. You cannot. That has to be approved.”
He called for tougher sanctions against developers whose negligence results in building collapses. “Imagine that if you are a developer and you flout the law and your building comes down, there’s already at a standard, maybe 20 or 30 years jail In addition to the fact that a building that comes down, automatically you forfeit the land to government.”
Adepoju also urged authorities to investigate landlords who illegally convert residential properties into commercial buildings, arguing that accountability should extend beyond developers alone. “The landlord that allowed that thing to happen… they need to fish the landlord out. Why did you convert?”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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