The need for strict compliance with building regulations, increased supervision, continuous training and enhanced certification for professionals, formed part of recommendations by experts at the Professor Leke Oduwaye – Adron Homes Urban Development Dialogue.
The event, organized by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Lagos (UNILAG) and sponsored by a Real Estate Development Company: Adron Homes and Properties Limited, was held on Thursday, July 3, 2025 at the Professor Rahamon Bello Lecture Theatre, UNILAG.
The Dialogue, initiated to honour renowned Professor of Urban Planning; Professor Leke Oduwaye who was also in attendance, provided a platform for stakeholders across different agencies in the built environment to address the rising incidents of building collapse and its dastardly consequences, particularly in Lagos, which is the epicenter of such disasters in Nigeria.
The Opening
Welcoming stakeholders to the Dialogue, the Director of UNILAG Business School (ULBS), Professor Mike Adebamowo who represented the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, described the event as a demonstration of the university’s commitment to engagements, research and partnerships that sustain urban development, and protects lives and livelihoods.
He added that the Urban Development Dialogue was also a call to action to strengthen regulatory frameworks, foster a culture of accountability and investment in the knowledge growth and professional development of the built environment.
His words, “…buildings must stand, not as monuments for disaster but as testaments of integrity, professionalism and foresights”.
Similarly, the Dean, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, UNILAG, Professor Modupe Omirin; Head, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Dr. Taofik Salau and Chairman, Local Planning Committee of the Dialogue, Dr. Sesan Adeyemi, in their separate remarks, adjudged the Dialogue a wakeup call to all stakeholders in the building industry and built environment. They noted the need for all hands to be on deck to protect lives and investments as well as save the industry from an imminent collapse.
In his address as the Chairman of the event, Town Planner Waheed Kadiri lauded the initiative as a strategy for a more cohesive town and gown engagement for mutual benefits. According to him, the Dialogue will foster innovation, as well as improve and enrich the knowledge and potentials of both theorists and practitioners in the built environment.
PL Waheed Kadiri
The former President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners appreciated Professor Leke Oduwaye for his contributions to the growth and development of both the knowledge and practice of urban and regional planning in Nigeria.
The Lecture
Delivering the public lecture which was the highpoint of the event, the Guest Speaker, Dr. (Tpl) Idris Salako, took the gathering through some major cases of building collapse in Lagos, suspected causes after investigation, as well as its consequences and implications in the building industry.
Titled: Recurring Building Collapse in Lagos: The Challenge of Regulatory Oversight and Construction Practices, Dr. Salako’s presentation highlighted his hindsight on the Lagos State building subsector and how illegal building approvals, poor and substandard artistry, insufficient professional engagements, structural defects, poor oversight, regulatory failure and poor construction practices have infiltrated and continued to plague the building culture in Lagos.
The UNILAG Alumnus who was the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development from 2019 to 2022 also shared insights on issues plaguing regulatory policies in Lagos state, challenges sabotaging enforcement efforts and how cases of building collapse have influenced policy/law formulation in the building subsector.
To address the building collapse quagmire and its impacts on lives, economy and environment in Lagos State, Dr. Salako recommended public awareness and trainings for building developers, local engineers and artisans; stricter enforcement of building codes; transparent approval and authorization processes as well as mandatory structural integrity tests.
His words, “before commencing construction, ensure that your project has the necessary planning approval and has passed all building control inspection”.
Keynote Remarks and Goodwill Messages
The Urban Development Dialogue featured a panel session and keynote presentations by the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Olumide Oluyinka and his Ogun State counterpart, Dr. Tunji Odunlami.
The two commissioners expressed deep reservations over the persistent issue of building collapse despite conferences, committees, panels and recommendations arising after each incident. The two commissioners applauded UNILAG for being at the forefront of discourse on the issue and harped on the need for all regulators and players in the building industry/built environment, to reexamine their roles and shun all forms of sharp practices.
During the panel session, discussants shared their professional perspectives on several unwholesome practices plaguing the building industry, and charged stakeholders to guard their loins and save the built environment from saboteurs.
The Professor Leke Oduwaye – Adron Homes Urban Development Dialogue also featured goodwill remarks from several stakeholders as well as the presentation of plaques as a token of appreciation to dignitaries for their contributions to the event and development of Urban and Regional Planning practice.
Professor Leke Oduwaye is an Architect, Town Planner and Professor of Urban Planning who began his academic career with the Department of Geography and Planning at the Lagos State University, Ojo in 1991. He joined the service of the University of Lagos in 1998 and became a Professor in 2010.
Report: Gbenga Gbelee
Photograph: Islamiat Akanni
