'No structure above 4 floors should be approved without proper consultation' - surveyors demand

The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has come up with a solution to the recent increase in building collapses.

According to the chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the NIESV, Mr.

During a visit to the Oba of Lagos, HRM Alaiyeluwa Rilwanu Akiolu 1's palace, the chairman said developments above four floors should only be approved, with the inclusion of a consultant estate surveyor and valuer.

He also lamented over the high rate of building collapses, which he blamed on the lack of proper professionals,who understand the enormous responsibility of this profession.

“We know that Kabiyesi is very worried and in fact, disturbed about the frequent news of collapsed buildings in the state. Mischievous circumstances We know this because no reasonable king will be happy to frequently hear that his children are often killed in mischievous circumstances and buried in rubbles, and those occurrences are so rampant.

We often ask ourselves that has any estate surveyor and valuer been involved in any of the collapsed buildings? The best of the answers we have so far received is, none.

“We now look at the Marina skyline and find those multiple storey buildings dotting Broad Street and Marina and ask, why have they not collapsed till date? The truth is that most of them were project managed by estate surveyors and valuers, the professionals that are vast in land acquisition, site selection, feasibility and viability appraisal, project management, property management(British) or facility management (Americans).

The Europeans brought these to us, practiced them while they were here. They taught us how to practice them and when they left we refused to continue. Your Royal Majesty, you would recall the works of Knight Frank and Rutley then called Fox and Co. and many other indigenous firms that operated then.

They were involved in project conception, project management and property management and we had more organized cities and society then. Suddenly every other professional in the built environment thought that what the estate surveyors and valuers knew and could do, can be done by them and we became known, called and addressed as estate agents and today, the buildings are collapsing, the cities are decaying and the environment blighted”, he said.

In May, 2016, Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, had a similar reason for building collapses.

Just like the NIESV chairman, he attributed building collapses to lack of professionals.

"As far as building collapse is concerned, the point that I would like to make is that the answer to stopping building collapse is increased professionalism on one hand and sanctions on the other hand", he said.