A seasoned construction management expert, Dr. ‘Jubreel Babatunde Odukoya, has called on the Lagos State Government to take urgent and decisive action to stem the tide of recurring building collapses that have continued to claim innocent lives across the state.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Gavel International News, Dr. Odukoya, a PhD holder in Management from Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), emphasized that the time has come for the government to enforce strict compliance with building performance standards and demolish all structures that fail to meet safety and ethical construction requirements.
According to the Nigerian-born scholar and construction project management specialist, his doctoral research on the “Effect of Project Management Factors and Ethical Practices on Building Performance in Lagos State of Nigeria” revealed that poor workmanship, the use of substandard materials, and disregard for ethical practices in construction remain the major causes of building failures in Lagos.
“The frequent building collapses in Lagos are not accidents — they are the direct result of systemic negligence,” Dr. Odukoya lamented. “We must prioritize soil testing, enforce structural audits, and ensure that only certified professionals handle building projects. Anything short of this is a recipe for further disaster.”
Dr. Odukoya, who has over three decades of experience in organizational and project management, further criticized the inadequate enforcement of building codes and performance regulations in Nigeria. Drawing comparisons with Malaysia, where he received his academic training, he noted that stringent regulatory frameworks and strict adherence to ethical construction practices have significantly reduced structural failures in the Asian nation.
“In Malaysia, building construction follows a well-defined ethical and technical protocol from soil testing to project delivery. Every stage is monitored to ensure compliance with performance standards,” he said. “If Lagos adopts similar practices, we can drastically reduce, if not eliminate, the tragic loss of lives and properties due to building collapse.”
Dr. Odukoya, a member of the Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) and the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG), urged the Lagos State Government to establish a Building Performance Enforcement Task Force to identify and demolish unsafe structures before they collapse.
“The time is now if we truly want to stop the unnecessary deaths,” he stressed. “We cannot continue to wait for the next collapse before taking action. A proactive approach anchored on ethics, competence, and regulatory compliance is the only sustainable solution.”
He also called for continuous professional training for architects, engineers, and construction supervisors to align local building practices with international standards.
“Ethics and professionalism are inseparable from safety. Every stakeholder — from policymakers to builders — must uphold integrity and competence in the delivery of construction projects,” he concluded.
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