The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu launched a rebranded Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation with the objective to safeguard residents’ lives and address the causes of building collapse in the state.
The governor empowered the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) with the mandate to issue the certificate to all existing and new building developments, thereby ensuring their resilience and safety for occupancy.
At the launch of Rebranded Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation held on Wednesday in Alausa, Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu said the fitness certificate was initiated to find a lasting solution to structural defects, building collapse and other building contraventions in line with international best practice.
Describing the initiative as a game changer, the governor said the financial and emotional loss that usually followed incidents of building collapse led to the design of the innovative approach to control physical developments and safeguard people’s lives.
He explained that the state government’s intention is to ensure the close monitoring of building construction works by LASBCA officials, from the foundation stage to completion.
He said: “This event is a testimony to our determination to address incidents of building collapse, by ensuring that due processes are followed in physical development activities in a way that will usher in new practice and bring about saner environment devoid of avoidable loss of lives and properties.
“The launch of the Certificate of Completion and Fitness for Habitation is one of the moves to further strengthen our resolve to control building collapse incidents. This is a game changer in building control strategies as it portrays us a government that thinks ahead and that is concerned about the safety of lives and properties of the citizens.”
State government, the governor said, would start treating house owners, contractors and relevant stakeholders as individuals responsible for collapse of buildings, should they fail to obtain the fitness certificate on their buildings.
Sanwo-Olu also frowned at the long wait usually encountered by private property developers in obtaining planning permits and building approvals, reading riot act to the supervising directors at LASBCA against sharp practices.
The governor directed the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and its agencies to simplify the approval process for permits in order to speed up the issuance.
790800cookie-check Sanwo-Olu Launches Fitness Certificate To Stop Building Collapse
