Building Collapse

FFR (Building collapse) are FREER volunteer responders that are trained in providing emergency and rescue operations following building collapse in offices, residential areas, etc using the most effective and appropriate international standard.

Over the past 50 years, Nigeria has witnessed a staggering 604 building collapses, with Lagos State emerging as the epicentre of this crisis. The statistics from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) emphasize the urgency of addressing this ongoing problem.

Between 1974 and May 30, 2024, Nigeria recorded 604 building collapses. The distribution of these incidents across the states highlights a significant concentration in Lagos State, which accounts for 57.28% of the total, amounting to over 346 collapses.

Following Lagos, the states with the next highest numbers of collapses are Anambra (3.98%), Abuja (3.65%), and Oyo (3.48%). 2020: Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, Nigeria recorded 45 building collapses, with Lagos accounting for 18 incidents (40% of the total). 2022: Nigeria experienced its highest annual number of building collapses, with 62 incidents nationwide. Lagos State alone accounted for 20 cases (32% of the total). 2023: The nation saw 52 building collapses, with Lagos contributing 17 incidents (33% of the total). 2024: As of May 30, there have been 17 recorded collapses across the country, with Lagos leading with 5 incidents.

Duties of FREER include:

1. Assess risk of further collapse and evacuate people to safety
2. Carefully search for victims trapped in the building and debris
3. Provide resuscitation exercise according to global best practice
4. Evacuate casualties to the nearest hospital using FREER paramedic vehicle
5. Respondents are adequately trained to provide rescue mission to this situation and they collaborate with the local authorities