Building collapse: ‘No more building permits without soil, geotechnical certificates – Abia govt

Abia State Government says no building permit would be granted to a developer in the State unless the developer obtains mandatory soil and geotechnical test certificates for the project.

The measure is in response to the recent cases of building collapses in Umuahia, Aba and Ikwuano areas of the State.

Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, who addressed journalists on Monday on the outcome of this week’s executive council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, said test must be run to determine the integrity of soil on which buildings are to be sited.

“Mandatory soil and geotechnical test are now prerequisites before building permits are granted.

“Going forward, if you must obtain a building plan, you must have soil and geotechnical test certificates,” Kanu said.

The Commissioner said that gutters in identified erosion-prone areas in Umuahia were being distilled to prevent flooding disaster, adding that the State government had approved immediate intervention in Emede ibeku Umuahia North, a community devasted by gully erosion challenge.

Speaking on the cases of building collapses in Umuahia, the General Manager, Umuahia Capital Development Authority, UCDA, Kingsley Agomoh disclosed that his agency had identified several buildings with structural defects within Umuahia.

Agomoh, who said that enforcement had commenced to prevent building collapses, said that an ongoing building that crashed at Finbars Road on July 17, 2026 was earlier flagged as endangered project, explaining that the building was  sealed by UCDA in June 2026, before it eventually collapsed.

He also disclosed that another building at Niger Road, Umuahia, had been discovered to be suffering from structural crises, noting that the owners of the distressed house had been directed to demolish it.