Between 2005 and 2022, Nigeria recorded over 180 building collapses. Lagos made up more than 60% of that number. The reasons remain unchanged: shoddy materials, ignored warnings, and regulations that only appear after injuries occur.
In June 2026, the Lagos State government announced that 2025 had the fewest collapses in two decades. Stronger oversight, more inspections, better compliance—that was the claim. Then, days later, a building came down in Alakija. Eight people died. One of them was a baby girl.
Here’s the documented list from 2025 to 2026:
1. June 25, 2026: Three-Storey Residential and Commercial Building, Old Ojo Road, Alakija, Satellite Town
Around 11:40 a.m., the building just gave way. People were still inside, according to eyewitnesses. LASEMA said 26 people were pulled out alive. Eight didn’t make it, including a baby girl. At 4:20 p.m., teams were still digging through the rubble for anyone else trapped. The official cause wasn’t out yet, but locals said the building was old and had been showing signs of distress.
2. June 5, 2026: Partial Collapse of a 3-Storey Building on Josephine Fingesi Street, Lekki Phase 1
A three-storey building under construction partially collapsed at about 12:19 p.m.
Nine people were affected. Seven adult males were rescued alive and stabilised. One adult male was confirmed dead at the scene, and one remained missing as rescue operations continued.
The collapse happened close to another incident on Oriwu Street from March 2025, when a three-storey building under construction fell and killed four people. With Lekki Phase 1 being one of Lagos’s wealthier neighbourhoods, the fact that collapses keep happening there has raised questions about why standards aren’t being met.
3. March 2026: Four-Storey Building Housing Yemco School Collapses in Ogba
A four-storey building with residential flats and Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College came down in Ogba on a Monday morning. The collapse triggered immediate panic due to the usual presence of children in schools during class hours.
Students, staff, and residents noticed signs of distress and got out minutes before it fell, so no lives were lost. Emergency responders said poor construction quality was likely to blame.
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4. December 24, 2025: 25-Storey Great Nigeria Insurance House in Balogun Market, Burnt to Ashes by Fire
The 25-storey building caught fire on December 24. It started on the fourth floor and spread quickly, and parts of it collapsed. The fire reached past the sixth floor, weakened the structure, and trapped traders and others inside. Officials pointed to poor storage, flammable materials, and design flaws.
Emmanuel Anumba, a relative of some of the missing, told SaharaReporters three of his siblings died and were burnt beyond recognition. His family buried ashes. He said emergency workers were slow, and scavengers showed up faster than rescuers.
At first, the Lagos government said no one had died. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu later confirmed eight deaths and 13 rescues.
Thereafter, the government ordered everyone within 100 metres to evacuate. Several nearby buildings were deemed unsafe.
5. October 2025: Two-Storey Building, Cole Street, Oyingbo
Early Monday morning, a two-storey building at 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop, collapsed. LSFRS said it had already been marked as distressed.
Sari-Iganmu Fire Station got the call around 12:20 a.m. One person was dead when they arrived, and 26 were rescued.
Fifteen of those had injuries and were taken to FMC Ebute-Metta and General Hospital, Odan. A second body was found later that night, and the death toll hit two.
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6. September 13, 2025: Three-Storey Building, Alagomeji, Yaba
On September 13, a three-storey building in Alagomeji came down, and one person was confirmed dead, with emergency teams deployed to the scene.
The Yaba and Ebute-Metta corridor has recorded some of Lagos’s worst collapse rates, largely because so many old and deteriorating buildings are packed into the area.
7. September 2025: Two-Storey Building, Modupeola Street, Mangoro, Alimosho
In September, a two-storey building on Modupeola Street, Mangoro, collapsed, and six people were rescued with no deaths confirmed.
It was the same pattern playing out again: residential buildings giving way without enough warning or action.
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