KEY POINTS
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Many residents remain trapped after the Lagos building collapse.
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Fifteen victims have been rescued and hospitalised with injuries.
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Weak regulation and poor construction oversight fuel recurring tragedies.
A late-night building collapse in Lagos left several residents trapped under debris in the early hours of Monday. The incident occurred at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop in the Oyingbo area, prompting an immediate response from emergency services.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the collapse in a situation report released on Monday morning. According to her, the Sari-Iganmu Fire Station received a distress call around 12:20 a.m. and deployed a team to the scene within minutes.
Lagos building collapse triggers overnight rescue
Adeseye said the structure, a two-storey residential building, had earlier been marked as distressed before finally giving way while occupants were inside. “It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which had reportedly been marked in distress before collapsing on the occupants,” the agency stated.
Rescue officials said fifteen people, including seven men, four women, and four children, were pulled from the rubble with varying degrees of injuries. They were taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Ebute-Metta and the General Hospital, Odan, on Lagos Island. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with emergency teams working through the wreckage to reach those still trapped.
Safety concerns deepen after Lagos building collapse
Building collapses have become a recurring tragedy in Nigeria’s commercial hub, where construction failures often stem from weak oversight and non-compliance with safety regulations. Experts say poor building materials, illegal modifications, and inadequate inspections continue to plague the sector despite repeated government promises of reform.
According to Punch, one of the most devastating incidents in recent memory occurred in November 2021, when a luxury high-rise under construction in Ikoyi crumbled, killing at least 42 people. Investigators later found that the developer had exceeded the number of approved floors. In September 2025, another collapse struck the Yaba district, leaving multiple casualties and deepening public frustration over regulatory failures.
Authorities have since urged residents to report signs of structural distress in their buildings. However, residents say enforcement remains slow and reactive, leaving many Lagos communities at risk. The latest Lagos building collapse underscores a pattern of neglect that continues to threaten lives in Africa’s largest city.
