A Stitch in Time Saves Nine: a Review of the Infrastructural Construction and the Rising Spate of Building Collapse in Lagos, Nigeria in Comparison With Dubai, Uae
Résumé
Abstract It is high time the Nigerian construction industry stakeholders faced the reality and collectively combated the rising spate of building collapse in some parts of the country before it sinks the industry to an all-time low. Lagos is a state in Nigeria with a land mass area surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, while Dubai, known in recent times for the reclamation of land which has led to the building of several industrial areas like the Burj Al Arab, Dubai Marina, the World Islands and Palm Islands. Vertical cities construction and industries continue to spring up in Dubai without the menace of building collapse and environmental degradation. However, Lagos State in Nigeria is bedeviled with a lot of saddening stories of building collapse and environmental pollution from the construction of storey buildings and manufacturing industries. Therefore, this study conducted a comparative analysis of the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the two cities in question taking special cognizance of the geographical similarities. A literature review and an in-depth analysis of the likely causes and determining factors of building collapse in Lagos Nigeria, an overpopulated small land mass area surrounded by a large body of water was carried out. Findings from the study revealed the little or no physical site inspection before registering a building, cutting of corners through the use of substandard construction materials and opening of sealed sites by contractors and developers and lack of properly scrutinized approvals especially for multi-storey buildings from government agencies among others as the causes of building collapse in Nigeria. It is recommended that effective policies and education of the stakeholders in the housing and human environmental sector in order to have a sustainably built environment should be given proper attention. Moreover, premium should be placed on establishing construction site monitoring teams all over the nation by the government with the knowledge of the various professional bodies. All these and more will help in protecting the present and future of the Nigerian construction industry in combating building collapse and improving holistic sustainability. Thus, bringing to reality the popular idiomatic expressions that “a stitch in time saves nine”.
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