A group under the auspices of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild has called the attention of the Lagos State Government to an impending three-storey classroom school building collapse in the Yaba area of the state.
The group stated this in a letter on Friday, which was addressed to the Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, Mr Jamiu Ali-Balogun.
The group stated that the distressed building is located within the premises of Mainland Senior High School, Onayade Street, Fadeyi, in the Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
BCPG added that the distressed three-storey classroom building has become a perpetual threat to the precious lives of students and teachers.
According to BCPG, it is worrisome that for over six years, the issue of this distressed school building has remained untreated.
“Following the death of about twenty pupils in a five-storey building that collapsed at 63 Massey Street, Ita-Faaji, Lagos Island, on Wednesday, 13 March 2019, the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory embarked on non-destructive structural tests of school buildings. On 4 April 2019, this three-storey school building at Fadeyi was marked by the Lagos State Building Control Agency as distressed. It is worrisome that for over six years, the issue of this distressed school building remains untreated,” the statement read in part.
The group recounted that the building collapse at Ita-Faaji was marked for demolition but was not demolished before it eventually collapsed.
BCPG warned that indecision compromised the prevention of premature death.
“It is important to remind you that the consequence of indecision could be fatal. The aforementioned building that collapsed at Ita-Faaji was tested and marked as distressed, but the building was given some renovation treatment before its eventual calamitous collapse. The parents of the dead pupils and the injured children are yet to recover psychologically from the tragedy caused by the collapsed building. Hence, indecision and delay, in this case, compromised the prevention of premature deaths,” it added.
It highlighted that a recent inspection was carried out on the Yaba school to assess its current condition, adding that the building was not in good shape.
“On Thursday, 4th December 2025, a visit was paid to Mainland Senior High School by representatives of BCPG, accompanied by LASBCA officials and the king of the locality, the Onisabe of Igbobi-Sabe, His Royal Majesty, Oba Owolabi Adeyemi Adeniyi. A visual inspection of the building was carried out in order to assess its current condition. The roof of the building was in disrepair. The soffit of slabs and beams had been subjected to spalling of concrete, leading to the exposure of corroded reinforcement steel bars,” it highlighted.
The group reiterated that the building has deteriorated against standard building conditions.
“Obviously, the elements of the building had deteriorated and transformed negatively against standard building conditions and the dictates of the National Building Code of Nigeria. Unfortunately, there was free access into the classrooms of the distressed building without solid restrictions. An ordinary caution tape would not be a barrier to dissuade playful school children. The building, though unoccupied, was dangerously close to other buildings that were being used as classrooms and offices,” it said.
“Dear Commissioner, the collapse of the classroom building at Odokekere High School in Ikorodu, Lagos State, on Thursday, 15 January 2026, should be considered a harbinger of the calamity that might disrupt the academic serenity of this secondary school at Fadeyi, Yaba. Kindly bear in mind that a device that can effectively predict the exact time a building will collapse is yet to be invented, thereby making uncertainty a prevailing factor,” the group added.
BCPG reminded the commissioner of a two-storey school building with a roof in disrepair that collapsed within the Federal Technical College premises in Yaba.
Speaking further on the number of building collapses so far, the group stated that the last building that collapsed in Yaba was at 335 Borno Way, Alagomeji, on Friday, 12 September 2025, killing five persons.
The group implores the commissioner to overcome indecision and bureaucratic bottlenecks and take a proactive step by isolating the distressed building with hoarding while making a final concrete resolution on the building.
It emphasised that safety on school premises must be a priority for the Lagos State Safety Commission, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, and the National Emergency Management Agency.
“Prevention is superior to managing building collapse crises. The Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory should not rest on its oars in the verification of the integrity of school buildings,” it concluded.
The Building Collapse Prevention Guild is a professional organisation in Nigeria made up of experts from key disciplines in the built environment, including engineers, architects, builders, surveyors, quantity surveyors, town planners, and estate surveyors and valuers, who are united by a common goal of preventing building collapses and promoting safe, sustainable construction practices nationwide.
