The Lagos State Government has introduced the Lagos State Building Insurance Scheme (LAGBIS) to enforce compulsory building insurance and protect lives and property. The government says growth without safety is not progress, hence the scheme. The state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the deputy chief of staff, Mr Sam Egube, stated this at the unveiling of the scheme on Friday in Lagos.
He said the initiative was aimed at strengthening building safety, promoting accountability in the construction sector and reinforcing Lagos’ position as a safe, responsible and globally competitive city. “What we are launching today is not just a scheme; we are strengthening another institution that will deepen confidence in Lagos as a safe, responsible and globally competitive city. “Growth without safety is not progress, and development without accountability is not sustainable.
“The true measure of development is not how much we build, but how well we protect the lives that those structures are meant to serve,” he said. The governor said the state had continued to experience rapid physical development, driven by increasing investments in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects. He, however, stressed that every new building came with a responsibility to ensure safety.
He disclosed that Lagos recorded 171 building collapses between 2011 and 2025. This, he said, accounted for more than half of such incidents reported nationwide, while six building collapses recorded in the first half of 2025 claimed 14 lives. According to him, the incidents have resulted in loss of lives, financial hardship for businesses, diminished public confidence and emotional trauma for affected families.
“Preventing disasters will always cost less than recovering from them,” he said. Sanwo-Olu said the government had strengthened regulatory oversight through the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) by expanding inspections, improving enforcement and insisting on greater compliance with building regulations. He said the agency had identified more than 27,000 distressed buildings and removed 349 dangerous structures before they could collapse and claim lives.
The governor said the newly inaugurated LAGBIS would provide a technology-driven framework. He said the framework would ensure eligible buildings were adequately insured against insurable risks while protecting p…
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