Lisa
The high rate of collapsing building, in these recent days: particularly in Lagos, is extremely alarming and disappointing. Alarming because, as if, the collapsing of the 21 storey building in lekki, that’s not up to a year, is not enough, when another gigantic building collapse at ikoyi, again! And when Lagosian thought, it is all over, then the shocker happened, another grandiose building just collapsed in Mushin. Infact, it is the one seen that we know, what about the collapsed building that is unknown? That’s why this article calls for proper attention.
But wait, why always Lagos?
Yes, as it was stated above, it is the one seen that we know, so definitely buildings might be collapsing in other unknown places too. But the fact is, it’s disappointing that, while ages buildings in states like, Kwara, Ogun: Ijebu ode, remain strong, healthy and looking timely. Buildings in a state like LAGOS; the city of blooming economy, that are barely upto 30years, has started fallen. Adding that, it looks like, the collapsing has chose to be persistence and rapidly consistence. Now, one of the reason, Information Central thought this recent collapsing as chosen Lagos is because, Lagos is an overcrowded city, with people who strive to cope with high cost of living. Even, couples of foreign magazines has proven Lagos city as one of the most stressful, city in the world. And the chances of daily survival; financially, for Lagosians is always slim.
With that, many Lagosians are now deaf to honesty and integrity because of hunger, and slim chances of survival in the city, so they embrace corruption as the last option of survival. Ofcourse, including many building constructors, surveyors and bricklayers too. And they began to rub and reflect this corruption act, on the building project they’re being given to construct: the bricklayers would tell lies to receive huge amount of money from land owners, and end up buying, using cheap and poor building materials.
That Aside, this same high cost of living, has also injected negligence to construct quality buildings to land owners; who, many of them are even initially ignorance of consequences of constructing building shabbily. So these Ignorant land owners, would battle with the thought of requesting the services of top-notch bricklayers, and surviyors: because, they believe their services would be expensive. So many of them, would end up deciding to construct their building themselves: they are just desperate to have a building in LAGOS. Like that is enough, some would even use, sands packed from gutters, and broken blocks to construct their building and at the end, these building won’t even survive the trials of time, before they began to weak and collapse.
General Possible Solutions
People should not engage at all in what they would failed to take full responsibility to complete.
When people strive to hustle, make money and buy land. They should be ready to take and press further in other essential responsibilities too: so as to construct a quality building, even if it will require more money. Buying lands is not the end, meeting with top-notch, and highly recommended: with fascinating and quality portfolio surveyors and building contractors is more essential too.
Planning well with Expert Surveyors before building on a Land.
This is for people that are ready to commit themselves, in pressing further and taking other responsibilities after purchasing lands. Research and investigation revealed that, many of collapse building, are not properly planned before being built. Fine, it is not all Land buyers that has the basic knowledge of things to do, when they buy land, but it’s every land buyers responsibility as a; person who value theirs and their families lives, and business, to seek expert and experience surveyors: without minding their cost, so as to engage in sound and proper planning before mounting buildings on a Land. A proper planning from an expert surviyor would entails:
Mapping and Inspecting of Land
This is the first stage, when planning to construct a building that would last longer. It is a process where the land, and the environment that would feature a building will be thoroughly examine. And at the end, it would be discovered; weather the land is located in a waterside, strong or a dry-land. And weather the land can feature, a skyscraper, 5, 4 7, or just one storey building.
Other Solutions Are;
Government should subsequently organise programs that would create awareness about consequences of constructing building shabbily. Government should release worthy punishment to surveyors bricklayers and even land buyers, caught in the act of constructing building shabbily, because if they are not punish, their acts would somehow affect innocent people. Lastly, Standard organization of Nigeria (SON) should be vigilant to ensure that building materials imported into the country meet standard requirements.
Lisa