4 Dead in Nigerian Building Collapse

A four-story residential building under construction in one of the most expensive communities in Africa collapsed on Tuesday.  Four people are confirmed dead and it is believed that as many as 50 people were still trapped in the building as of Tuesday night.  All of the victims were construction workers who were working on the building.  The Nigerian Department of Occupational Safety and Health are investigating the cause of the collapse and have sent representatives to the site.  The building contractor has also submitted a report about the collapse.  According to the Associated Press, building collapses are not uncommon in Nigeria.

They can result from unenforced regulations or the use of substandard products.  Building codes provide important guidelines on how to safely design structures. Corruption plays a vital part in disregarding these building codes, which leads to quick construction in unsafe conditions and the potential for loss of life. The Nigerian Government proposed a revised version of their 2006 National Building Code in August of this year to try to prevent more building failures from occurring.  The new version of the code ensures only registered engineers are allowed to be members of the code enforcement division.  It also adds a section detailing sanctions for any unethical behavior in the construction industry.  The government hopes the new code will be approved quickly and will allow the country to avoid further loss of life associated with substandard building construction and performance.