FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLLAPSE OF SCHOOL BUILDING IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Since independence, the Nigerian government has desperately continued to make concerted effort in the area of quantitative (but not qualitative) supply of mass housing through massive budgetary and policy provisions; however, the alarming rate at which existing housing stock is collapsing necessitates immediate attention and action. The number of building collapse sites dispersed throughout the length and width of Nigeria is so worrying that it is impossible to predict what impact it would have on the construction sector and the overall economy of the country. If only these structures had been erected in the manner in which they were intended, one can only imagine what magnificent structures they would have been. It has been said that Nigeria, particularly Lagos State, has been known as the "world's junk-yard" because of the large number of fallen structures, some of which are worth billions of naira (Famoroti, 2005). It seems almost unthinkable that a county endowed with such vast potentials in its construction sector should suffer a building collapse of this size. "A building," according to Fadamiro in 2002, is described as "a structure that encloses areas that are planned for a certain purpose and that is intended to manage local temperature, distribute services, and expel trash." The term "building" refers to a structural entity that is capable of securing itself by transferring weights to the earth. A further definition of a building is that it is a "structure for human activity, which must be safe for the residents" (Odulami, 2002). As a consequence of their collapse, these identical structures have been a source of delight and danger to people both before and after their construction, presenting a threat to their safety. Collapse as a whole happens when a component or the whole body of a structure fails and abruptly gives way; as a consequence of this failure, the structure is unable to fulfill the function for which it was designed. The collapse of a building is the most severe example of a building failure. It indicates that the superstructure has completely or partly collapsed (Arilesere, 2002). If one or more of the building's parts become defective as a result of the incapacity of the materials that make up such building elements to execute their original functions efficiently, the structure will fail, which may eventually result in the building collapsing. Buildings are intended to offer people with comforts and shelter, yet in certain cases, the same building has served as a danger trap for those same individuals. It is assumed that a building would fulfill some fundamental characteristics, such as constructability and design performance as well as cost efficiency, quality, safety, and on-time completion (Olusola, Atta & Ayangade, 2002). As a general rule, buildings are required to be both aesthetic and useful, yet many projects are developed that fail to achieve even the most fundamental of these criteria. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of building collapses, some of which have taken the lives of innocent people. In order to look into the causes of the incidence of building collapse in Nigeria, numerous studies have been carried out and various workshops have been organized in major cities across the country by various bodies, government agencies, and institutions. However, none of the studies or workshops have been able to determine how each of the determined factors directly contributes to building collapse in the country. According to Olusola, there are several elements that contribute to building collapse in Nigeria, the most significant of which are structural design and quality management (2002). Material variability, testing variability, the judgment factor, contractor variability, poorly qualified workers, and unprofessional behaviour are all factors to consider in the quality management process. The study's goal was to look at the incidences of residential building collapses in Nigeria with the goal of determining the reasons, consequences, and solutions to these incidents.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

A flaw or imperfection, a deficit or a fault in a building part or component is what causes a structure to collapse. It might also occur as a consequence of a failure to fulfill a function. The amount or degree of divergence of a structure from its "as – constructed" condition, which in most instances represents the accepted norm within the neighborhood, area, state, or nation, may thus be attributed to the degree of building collapse. Ikpo (1998) defined formalized euphemism as In contrast, building collapse may be described as the complete or partial/progressive breakdown of one or more structural components of a structure, which results in the building's capacity to execute its primary functions of comfort, satisfaction, safety and stability being rendered impossible. The constant collapse of buildings in Nigeria has become a major source of worry for all parties, including building industry specialists, government officials, private developers, customers and users, as well as people of surrounding neighborhoods. The researcher's worry about the rising number of collapse building accidents occurring throughout the country served as the impetus for this study, which sought to determine the elements responsible for the collapse of school buildings in Nigeria.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general objective of the study is factors responsible for the collapse of school building in Nigeria. Specifically, the study will be guided under the following:

i.          To examine the factors responsible for the collapse of buildings in Nigeria.

ii.        To investigate the effects of collapse building in Nigeria on the well being of students.

iii.      To make recommendation on the remedial measures to put a stop to building collapse in Nigeria.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

i.          What are the factors responsible for the collapse of buildings in Nigeria?

ii.        What are the effects of collapse building in Nigeria on the well being of students?

iii.      What are the remedial measures to put a stop to building collapse in Nigeria?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The outcome of this study will be significant to educate the general public and the government of the day on the causes, effect and solutions to the cases of building collapse in Nigeria.

This research will also serve as a resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research in this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to provide new explanation to the topic

 1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will examine the factors responsible for the collapse of buildings in Nigeria. The study will also investigate the effects of collapse building in Nigeria on the well being of students. The study will further make recommendation on the remedial measures to put a stop to building collapse in Nigeria. Hence the study will be delimited to Cross Rivers State.

1.7       LIMITATION OF STUDY

Just like any other research, unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, and inability to get data were among the constraints the researcher encountered in the cause of this study. Financial constraint was equally faced by  the researcher, in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires. Furthermore, time factor pose another constraint because the researcher have to shuttle between writing of the research and engaging in other academic work which made it uneasy for the researcher.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

COLLAPSE: suddenly fall down or give way

SCHOOL: an institution for educating children.

BUILDING: a structure with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory

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