The Lagos State Government, Southwest Nigeria, has intensified Lagos school building structural integrity checks following the discovery of distressed structures in some public schools across the state.
This includes the ongoing demolition of Mainland Senior High School on Onayade Street, Fadeyi, in Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), as part of broader efforts to improve school building safety.
The Chairman of the Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS), Hakeem Smith, disclosed this during an inspection visit to the demolition site, which followed detailed structural integrity assessments of Lagos school buildings.
He stated that the committee’s mandate is to ensure that all public primary and secondary schools meet safe and habitable learning standards under the ongoing Lagos school building structural integrity checks initiative.
Speaking on the demolished school building, Smith explained that during a routine inspection, a structure initially slated for renovation was found to have been previously marked for demolition but had been left standing.
He added that while two buildings are being demolished, one structure within the compound will be rehabilitated to meet safety standards.
Smith noted that the affected students have been temporarily relocated to nearby schools to allow for safe demolition, with plans underway to construct new classroom blocks to accommodate the growing student population.
“We will assess the student population to determine the number of classrooms required. Once approvals are secured, construction is expected to be completed within nine months,” he stated.
The committee chairman emphasised the commitment to conducting integrity tests on existing school buildings, noting that all new constructions will meet international standards, including proper soil testing and structural design—key components of effective Lagos school building structural integrity checks.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Yaba Cell, Adebayo Ogunrinde, reiterated the group’s commitment to safeguarding lives by identifying and preventing structurally unsafe buildings in schools across Yaba.
He noted that the BCPG played a whistleblowing role by reporting its findings to the appropriate authorities, including Lagos State agencies responsible for building safety, which subsequently carried out official structural tests.
According to him, the primary mandate of the BCPG is to prevent building collapses by proactively identifying structures that pose risks to occupants, supporting ongoing school building safety inspections in Lagos.
He added that the Guild has partnered with the SCRPS to extend similar inspections to other schools within Yaba to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and staff.
He emphasised a shift from reactive responses to proactive prevention, stating:
“We don’t want to wait until a building collapses before we begin to act. Our goal is to prevent such incidents entirely, not respond after the damage has been done.”
The Onisabe of Igboi-Sabi, Oba Adeyemi Adeniyi, expressed satisfaction over the ongoing demolition of abandoned buildings at Mainland Senior High School, which he said had been a longstanding concern in his domain.
Source: The Guardian
