With frequent incidents of building collapse, many industry players have feared that the high cost of building materials may make it impossible to use quality materials, while leading to proliferation of quacks who offer cheap labour.
Recommendations to address the issue include increasing funding for regulatory bodies, establishing effective monitoring units, providing continuous professional training, conducting public awareness campaigns and ensuring that only accredited professionals handle construction projects.
A victim recounted how her apartment suddenly collapsed. She had moved into her new apartment, along with two children and was full of hope for the future. However, “within a year, cracks appeared and the building showed signs of severe stress”, she said. “One tragic evening, as we were having dinner, the building began to collapse, burying us all under the rubble”. Struggling to hold back her tears, she added “I and one other kid made it out. I lost my youngest child and sustained life-threatening injuries.”
Investigations revealed that the building was constructed by an unqualified builder, using substandard materials and ignoring safety regulations. The above case is not an isolated incident. Between 1974 and 2019, over 221 buildings collapsed across Nigerian cities, with Lagos alone witnessing 167 cases between 2000 and 2021, according to the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG).
These collapses have displaced over 6,000 households and caused an estimated property loss of $3.2 trillion, the BCPG reports. In Nigeria’s building and construction sector, a troubling challenge persists, which is the widespread proliferation of quacks. These individuals engage in construction work without the necessary licenses, certifications, or expertise. This include graduates of professional courses who have yet to obtain relevant licenses and work without the supervision of a licensed expert.
Subsequently, experts have bared their minds on the menace. Kingsley Cletus, an architect licensed with the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), highlighted severe consequences, such as structural failures and building collapses when unqualified individuals design building structures. He explained that buildings designed by unqualified individuals often require extensive repairs or complete reconstruction, resulting in significant financial losses for owners. Additionally, he stated that quacks may overlook essential aspects of design, such as proper ventilation and natural lighting, leading to unhealthy environments. Incorrect designs can also increase the risk of fire due to improper electrical layouts and lack of fire safety measures.
“Quacks often overlook essential design aspects like proper ventilation and natural lighting, leading to unhealthy environments. Their incorrect designs can also increase the risk of fire due to improper electrical layouts and inadequate fire safety measures.”
Not adhering to local building codes, inability to manage building space, overdesign and sub-par designs, and competition with quacks who offer lower prices for substandard work, thereby undermining professional integrity, are additional impacts of quacks in the architectural space, as the architect identified. Also, a licensed civil engineer and construction management advisor, Babatunji Adegoke accredited by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), emphasized that unqualified individuals, who are not licensed by relevant regulatory bodies, remain undocumented and unaccountable.
“This lack of oversight allows them to engage in practices that violate COREN regulations.” He stressed the need for civil engineers licensed with COREN who are acutely aware of the importance of adhering to regulations in building execution to be in charge, as negligence could lead to disastrous consequences and the revocation of their licenses. “This accountability ensures that licensed professionals remain diligent, a safeguard that quacks do not have. Licensed civil engineers understand the critical importance of adhering to regulations because any negligence can result in disastrous consequences and the loss of their licenses. This level of accountability ensures that we remain diligent and responsible, unlike quack builders who operate without such safeguards”, Adegoke stated.
A builder accredited by the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and practicing in Lagos for over a decade, highlighted that the quest for cheaper construction options has led to the rise of unqualified builders, resulting in critical issues. He pointed out that licensed builders strictly adhere to building codes, obtain necessary permits, use proper techniques, conduct essential soil tests, and maintain strict safety protocols.
They collaborate with architects and engineers, ensure high-quality materials, and supervise the construction process to guarantee top-notch workmanship. In contrast, he said quack builders cut corners, use substandard materials, neglect safety protocols, and lack proper planning and documentation, leading to unsafe and poor-quality construction. They often skip vital steps like soil testing, risking future structural failures and collapses.
Adegoke recommended that the Federal Government consistently fund and increase financial support for regulatory bodies such as COREN, the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), ARCON, CORBON, and the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON).
He emphasized that the enhanced funding would enable these bodies to effectively combat the proliferation of quacks by regulating their respective fields and fulfilling their statutory responsibilities. Adegoke also stressed the need for regulatory bodies to establish effective monitoring units to oversee professional practices and eliminate quackery.
Additionally, he recommended continuous training to enhance the capacity of professionals and strict enforcement of laws against practicing without proper qualifications or licenses. Another expert suggested the creation of neighbourhood alert systems for reporting observed poor construction works and buildings showing signs of structural failure. This, he argued, would help reduce the number of quacks handling building projects.
He also recommended regular public awareness campaigns on best building practices and the construction of good structures to achieve better standards, ensuring that citizens hire only duly licensed professionals. Furthermore, Cletus, the architect earlier referenced, suggested that more should be done in terms of legislation to deter quacks in the construction and building industry, serving as a deterrent to those who might attempt to undertake construction work without proper qualifications.
He also advised that, given the insufficiency of state government officials to effectively monitor the construction industry, there should be a partnership between state governments and duly qualified and licensed private sector experts in the built environment industry.
“This collaboration could help in monitoring, vetting development activities, and other related tasks to promote strict adherence to established rules and regulations in the construction industry.
The proliferation of quack builders in Nigeria’s construction industry has led to numerous structural failures, financial losses, and safety hazards.
Licensed professionals stress the importance of adhering to building codes, using quality materials and following safety protocols—practices often neglected by unqualified builders.
To address this issue, it is crucial to enhance funding for regulatory bodies, establish effective monitoring units, provide continuous professional training, and conduct public awareness campaigns.
Experts insisted that only accredited professionals should handle construction projects as it is essential to safeguarding lives, properties and the integrity of the building industry in Nigeria
