Building collapse in SW Nigeria: at least 11 fatalities and several injured

On Thursday, October 31, around 2 a.m., in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Nigeria a building collapsed resulting in the death of eleven people. Seven others were severely injured and transferred to the General Hospital to receive medical treatment. According to authorities, rescue teams arrived at the site in delay due to poor road conditions. Upon their arrival rescue operations to save those trapped beneath the rubble were initiated. The Oyo State Fire Services Agency stated that the rescue operations continued for over 24 hours to ensure that no one remained trapped under the debris.

According to the eyewitnesses, the building collapsed after a quick storm that affected the building. They stated that they heard a sound likewise a crash, and then the building gave way. The collapse followed a power outage that made the rescue operation extremely difficult. Notably, at the time of the collapse at the building were the owner with his family members and several psychiatric patients that were under his treatment.

In all, Williams Akin Funmilayo who is the Oyo State Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, and Ona Ara Council Chairman, Temitope Kolapo, visited the site and stated that to ensure public safety they will assess the structural stability of other buildings in the area that seem to be at risk. Furthermore, the state government linked this to structural defects and oversight failures, launching an investigation to tackle problems with poor-quality materials and unapproved construction practices.

Building collapses are frequent in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, frequently resulting in significant fatalities. Local experts attribute these incidents to aging infrastructure, failure to adhere to building regulations, and the use of inferior construction materials. It should be mentioned that between 2022 and 2024, Nigeria reported at least 135 cases of building collapses, according to a report published by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild in July.