Lagos to engage consultants for building plan reviews

The Lagos State Building Control Agency is set to engage consultants who assist in the review of building plans, inspections, and monitoring compliance.

This was disclosed at the interactive session with chairmen of local government areas and local council development areas, professional bodies, and developers across the state to discuss building codes and the approval process, which was held recently in Ikeja, Lagos.

The agency urged qualified consultants in the built environment to participate in its new Certified Accreditors’ Programme.

The General Manager of LASBCA, Gbolahan Oki, said the programme aimed to leverage private sector expertise to improve efficiency and ensure all buildings in the state meet safety standards.

“The public-private synergy referred to as the ‘Certified Accreditors Programme’ is aimed at leveraging on the peculiar expertise and experience of private sector professionals.

“It also aimed to further accelerate LASBCA’s effectiveness toward optimum service delivery with the view of actualising its operational mandates of ensuring all new and existing buildings in Lagos State are constructed to fit human habitation and avert incidence of building collapses.

“The programme aligned with the state government’s goals for sustainable urban development.”

According to Oki, the programme’s goal is to improve LASBCA’s ability to ensure that new and existing buildings comply with regulations and are safe for habitation.

He further noted that the state government would consider consultants who are duly registered in Nigeria, have relevant experience, and are members of professional bodies.

He, thereafter, called on interested public members to obtain an expression of interest form from LASBCA headquarters.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on E-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babtunde, emphasised the importance of understanding the social aspects of governance and enforcement.

He said, “Sometimes, we need to go back to the basics because if we do not, we will miss the fact that the social aspect of what we do is the solution. I was asked about the Electronic Governance Infrastructure System, and I think technology is great, but it is only useful when we have lost sight of the social attributes that truly matter.

“When we no longer fear God, when the family is no longer the smallest unit of governance, that is when we start looking for engineering solutions, technological solutions, like EGIs. And then we think we need to use drones and satellites for monitoring.

“But the local government, as one of the chairmen mentioned, is the smallest and closest unit to the people. It’s not about the amount of money they have but about their proximity and connection to the community.

“So, we need to go back to understanding the social aspects of enforcement and governance.”