Lagos identifies 360 distressed buildings

General Manager of LASBCA, Gbaye Florence

The General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Florence Gbaye, has revealed that 360 buildings across Lagos State have been classified as distressed structures.

Gbaye disclosed this in her goodwill message at the Annual Lecture Awards organised by the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, expressing concern over the growing number of distressed buildings across the state.

The event was themed, ‘Re-imagining Housing in Nigeria: Sustainability, Facility Management and Innovative Building Materials’.

She added that the government was doing everything possible to remove such buildings in order to save lives and property.

“And we have a lot of buildings that are distressed. Like we published some months ago, over 350-360 buildings have been identified as distressed structures,” Gbaye said.

Gbaye has urged young Nigerians to begin planning towards homeownership early, stressing that owning a house should not be seen as an unattainable dream because of rising property costs.

She highlighted that access to information, early financial planning and the availability of different housing options could make homeownership achievable for younger Nigerians.

The LASBCA boss encouraged young people to acquire knowledge about available housing opportunities rather than relying entirely on information from others.

According to her, starting the journey towards homeownership at about age 30 could give individuals several decades to spread their payments, “making it easier to acquire properties through manageable monthly contributions.”

She maintained that young Nigerians should take advantage of their age and earning years to plan for the future, noting that financial constraints should not discourage them from exploring available housing options.

Gbaye also emphasised the importance of building regulations and professional oversight in protecting lives and property.

She explained that agencies such as the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority play important roles in ensuring that building projects comply with approved planning requirements, while stressing that developers and individuals must obtain the necessary building approvals before construction begins.

Gbaye called on professionals in the built environment, journalists and members of the public to take collective responsibility for identifying and reporting buildings that violate construction regulations or pose safety risks.

She noted that building regulations were not intended to frustrate property owners but to safeguard families, investments and the wider community.

The LASBCA boss urged the media to intensify public enlightenment on building approval processes and construction safety, stressing that informed citizens and strict compliance with regulations were essential to developing safe and sustainable communities.

In her welcome address, the Chairman of the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria, Mrs Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, noted that Nigeria continued to grapple with a severe housing crisis fuelled by rapid urbanisation, population growth, escalating construction costs, inadequate infrastructure and limited availability of affordable homes. She observed that decent homeownership or rental accommodation remained beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians.

Iroegbu-Chikezie pointed out that addressing the challenge required more than building additional houses but should include embracing smarter planning, sustainable construction methods, innovative financing and policies that made decent housing accessible to low- and middle-income earners.

“The concept of sustainability must become central to housing development. Our buildings should be designed to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and respond to local climatic conditions. The adoption of natural ventilation, energy-efficient lighting, solar power and rainwater harvesting can reduce operating costs while improving residents’ comfort. Stakeholders must also encourage responsible land use and protect our environment from the consequences of unplanned development,” Iroegbu-Chikezie said.