The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) has launched an investigation into the Ikoyi building collapse, which has a death toll of over 38 persons at the last count.
A statement released by the institute under the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, said the collapse of the 21-storey building located on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi area of Lagos, on November 1, 2021, is being investigated to find out what caused its failure.
“NBRRI has set up an investigative committee comprising Lagos-based professionals and stakeholders in the built environment with specific terms of reference to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the collapse.”
According to the statement, the building collapse team from the institute’s national laboratory complex in Ogun has already visited the site to collect samples which will be subjected to thorough laboratory investigations and analyses.
It clarified that the assignment is neither a probe nor an investigation of persons or organisations but an established practice designed to provide a ‘case-history’ based technical report enshrined in scientific and engineering principles to provide new knowledge and information to forestall future occurrence.
The statement condoled with the families of the victims of the avoidable disaster and prayed for a safer working environment for all in the built environment.
