The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) has attributed the recent collapse of a school building in Jos, Plateau State, to the use of substandard materials and poor construction practices.
Samson Duna, Director General of NBRRI, revealed these findings during a news conference held on Tuesday in Jos, the state capital.
Duna stated,”The committee discovered that the quantity of concrete was in doubt because there was no bond between the concrete and the steel reinforcement.
“The slab reinforcement anchorage provided was inadequate, and the sizes of the footing (foundation) provided were less than the required number of 1200 mm x 1200 mm.”
The Explainer reported, the tragic incident occurred last Friday at approximately 8:30 a.m. when a two-storey building collapsed at Saint Academy, located in the Busa-Buji community of Jos North Local Government Area. The collapse resulted in 22 fatalities and left 132 others severely injured.
In response to the disaster, NBRRI formed an investigative committee led by Professor Fredrick Job from the University of Jos. The committee’s mandate, approved by Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, was to uncover the causes of the collapse and identify those responsible for the structural defects.
Duna explained that the committee’s preliminary investigation revealed the collapsed structure was already “distressed” prior to the incident. He emphasized that the initial findings were based on evidence gathered through interviews with eyewitnesses and experts.
“The committee’s further findings will be crucial toward averting building collapses in the future,” Duna added.
The NBRRI Director General assured the public that the institute would spare no effort in ensuring that those responsible for the school building collapse are held accountable.
