Lagos State government on Wednesday has announced plan to domesticate the National Building Code and adopt environment-friendly construction methods.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, said this at a media sensitisation in Ikeja, organised by his ministry in collaboration with the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP).
The event focused on the domestication of the National Building Code in Lagos State and integration of the Building Energy Efficiency Code (BEEC).
Salako said inspite of existing laws to regulate physical development, the state still had challenges of land use, physical development and urban planning, as well as safety and health issues.
He said developers and some property owners were cashing in on huge housing demands to cut corners resulting in haphazard developments, building collapse and loss of investments.
Salako who said the ministry was going on full automation noted that the Lagos Building Code was intended to supply the missing link to further enhance sanity in the construction sector.
“The Lagos Building Code, which will be the logical consequence of the domestication of the National Codes, is intended to supply the missing link in the existing regulatory framework.
“It will provide the much needed focus on performance standards for building in the state as opposed to design standards.
“As a performance-based building code, the Lagos Building Code covers aspects such as structural stability, durability, protection from fire, access, moisture control, energy control and services and facilities.
“The Building Code when operational will afford us the opportunity to address the peculiarities of the state and its different localities with building performance standards.
“It will also minimise costs of untold disasters from flooding, collapse and fire outbreaks,” he said.
The commissioner called for media support in awareness creation to ensure smooth take-off and actualisation of the Lagos Building Code.
He thanked the Nigerian Energy Support Programme ( NESP) for offering to midwife the process.
Salako also assured that all built environment professionals would be carried along to have their inputs, adding that, the entire process would take six months to complete before the launch.
Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, Special Adviser to the governor on Works and Infrastructure, said in the past the state relied on both British and American codes for checking construction standards.
Adeyoye, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mrs Abiola Kosegbe, said the Lagos State Building Code was timely and would address issues of quality and safety.
She said the briefing was to sensitise Lagos residents on efforts of the state government to activate the Lagos building code.