The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) has stressed the need for proactive early warning systems in Nigerian buildings to save lives during construction failures.
The call followed the collapse of a school building at Yemco Schools, 11, Adu Street, Aguda, Ogba, in Ojodu Local Government Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos, on Monday, March 9, 2026.
Fortunately, pupils and members of staff were evacuated during the incident, demonstrating how timely alert could prevent loss of life.
Reacting to the development, Coordinator, BCPG Ojodu Cell, Abiodun Adegoke, General Secretary, Dom Ibeh, and Public Relations Officer, Femi Ishola, in a joint statement, yesterday, said buildings often exhibit tell-tale signs of impending failure before collapse.
According to the Guild, concrete spalling, visible cracks in walls or columns, bulging surfaces, unusual vibrations, and deflection of floors or beams, are early signs that provide a crucial window for intervention.
The Guild noted that the collapse of the four-storey Yemco school building at Ogba, Ojodu four days to the seventh anniversary of a similar collapse of a five-storey Ohen school building at 63, Massey Street, Ita- Faaji, Lagos Island, on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, heightened the importance of early warning systems.
According to the feedback from the BCPG Lagos Island Cell, pre- building collapse cracks, spalling of concrete and the accompanying sounds were noticed in the Ohen school building at Ita-Faaji on that fateful day. Unfortunately, the building collapsed before the pupils and other occupants could be evacuated, leading to the death of about 20 pupils while many sustained injuries.
“The narrow escape of the evacuated pupils and members of staff of Yemco Schools from building collapse death has initiated a call for the installation of early warning systems in buildings.
“Modern building collapse detection systems now take early warning to the next level. IoT-enabled sensors embedded in structural members continuously monitor stress, movement, and deflection.
“As soon as the building exceeds safe thresholds when beams deflet, columns buckle, or vibrations rise alarms are triggered, alerting occupants and building managers to evacuate and take immediate action.
“Building occupants should be vigilant and play a role in ensuring early signs are noticed and acted upon. High occupancy buildings, such as schools, hospitals, and multi-storey residential complexes, should be prioritised for these systems.
“The school building collapse at Aguda Ogba demonstrates a simple but vital lesson: detecting tell-tale signs and equipping buildings with early warning systems to save lives. We urge building owners, managers, and regulators to adopt smart monitoring devices in all high-risk buildings, enabling real-time alerts, timely evacuation, and a safer urban environment across Nigeria.
“The policy of periodic structural integrity tests on buildings, especially the old ones, should be well implemented.
“Diligent investigations of the Yemco school building collapse will help lay to rest speculations and establish the real cause(s), which sh
ould help prevent recurrence.
“This latest school building collapse should serve as a wake-up call to the Lagos State Government to act quickly on the distressed three-storey school building(s) at Mainland Senior High School, Onayade Street, Fadeyi, Yaba. BCPG Yaba Cell officially drew the attention of the Lagos State Government to the distressed school building on January 28, 2026,” the Guild noted.
The BCPG stressed that it remains committed to working with government agencies, regulatory authorities, and stakeholders in the built environment to promote safer buildings and prevent avoidable building collapse across Nigeria.
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