Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has announced plans  to create a functional building control agency that will inspect, approve and certify every stage of building construction in the state.

Speaking on Wednesday at a one-day symposium organised by the state Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Abdulrazak expressed concerns over the spate of building collapse.

“There are growing concerns among the professionals and stakeholders in the building environment over the spate of building collapse in the country,” he said.

Represented by the state Commissioner for Communication, George Towoju, the governor said the agency would be created through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

He said the agency was expected to sanitise the building sector and encourage sustainable housing development in the state.

“Our primary focus in building control is to ensure that houses are designed in a manner that public safety and contemporary urban design cannot be compromised.

“Therefore, part of the key roles of the stakeholders in this move, particularly the professional bodies, is to determine the educational qualification of their members and regulate their activities in the building and construction industry,” he said.

Mr Abdulrazak further attributed several cases of building collapse in the country to unavailability of building control policies or poor implementation of existing ones.

(NAN)