The federal and state governments as well as their relevant agencies have been told to hold their officials, not only estate developers, to account for infractions in building regulations and approvals often cited as reasons for demolishing buildings in Nigerian cities.
Nigerians, especially housing sector stakeholders, have risen in unison to condemn the spate of buildings demolition that is fast becoming a regular feature of the country’s housing landscape, contending that corruption in approvals by government officials fuels illegal housing projects.
“We are concerned about the wave of demolitions of completed houses and estates across Nigeria and it is pertinent for us in the housing sector to warn that the government must address the root causes of the problem rather than wasting scarce resources through large-scale demolitions,” Festus Adebayo, a staunch advocate for affordable housing delivery, stated on Friday.
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Adebayo, the Executive Director of the Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), condemned the on-going demolitions, particularly in Abuja and Lagos, noting that government’s negligence and its officials’ complicity are at the heart of the crisis.
He questioned why government authorities allowed such buildings to rise over many years without intervention, only to demolish them after completion and, in some cases, after occupation.
“Where was the government when approvals were granted by its officials and when these structures were being constructed? Why weren’t they stopped earlier? It is disheartening that, instead, the government waited until these buildings were completed, painted, and occupied before moving in with bulldozers. This is insensitive and inconsiderate,” Adebayo fumed.
He described the demolitions as an economic waste, stressing that they inflict hardship on innocent homeowners, while government fails to address the corruption that enabled the illegal constructions in the first place.
According to him, accountability must not stop with the developers alone. “Demolition is the punishment for the developer, but hear me clearly: the criminal officers who aided the construction must also go down.
Until government officials who looked the other way are held publicly accountable, whether by outright dismissal or demotion, these demolitions will never end. Right now, the punishment falls only on developers, which makes the exercise one-sided and ineffective.”
He emphasised that holding officials who connive with developers responsible would act as a deterrent to others and reduce future occurrences.
Other house sector stakeholders criticized the silence of professional bodies, particularly the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), noting that if urban planning systems are being undermined, the Institute has a responsibility to speak out.
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“How can NITP be left out? If what they plan is being bastardized, the onus is on them to speak out,” a stakeholder, who did not want to be named, said.
According to the stakeholder, corruption in government’s approval process fuels most of the illegal structures that are later targeted for demolition, insisting that unless this is addressed, the vicious circle will continue.
Adebayo declared that “enough is enough,” adding, “this waste of resources is a direct result of corruption in the approval processes; the government must act fast.”
