The Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) has expressed renewed concern over what it describes as weak regulatory enforcement and unsafe construction practices, following a series of building collapses across the country.
The warning comes after a recent three-storey building collapse at the North Industrial Area in Accra, which reportedly claimed three lives and reignited public debate on construction standards and enforcement.
Speaking to the media, the Chair of the Structures Sub-Division of GhIE, Ing. Joshua Allotey, said preliminary findings point to several contributing factors, including unauthorised structural alterations, changes in building use, and the involvement of unqualified persons in key stages of construction.
He cautioned against attributing such incidents solely to environmental conditions, stressing that human negligence and weak regulation remain at the core of the problem.
“In some cases, we observed what is commonly referred to as a ‘pancake collapse,’ where one floor fails under its own weight and brings down the rest,” Ing. Allotey explained.
He noted that many of the affected buildings were constructed without proper professional oversight, adding that developers often bypass approved procedures before beginning work.
According to him, although building regulations require developers to secure permits supported by approved technical drawings, compliance is frequently ignored, with construction sometimes starting without authorisation.
He also highlighted a growing trend where developers take on project management roles themselves and rely on unqualified artisans instead of licensed engineers and architects, a practice he said compromises structural safety.
Ing. Allotey further criticised the enforcement capacity of some regulatory bodies, pointing to weak inspections and slow responses to violations, including ignored stop-work orders.
“At the same time, enforcement by some state institutions remains weak, with insufficient inspection and delayed responses to violations,” he said.
He emphasised that building safety must be seen as a shared responsibility between developers and the state institutions mandated to regulate the sector.
On environmental factors, GhIE explained that while rainfall, rising groundwater levels and strong winds are often present during collapse incidents, they are not the root cause.
Rather, these conditions tend to expose existing structural weaknesses, particularly in poorly designed foundations affected by seasonal water changes.
The Ghana Institution of Engineers is therefore calling for urgent reforms, including mandatory stage-by-stage inspections of all building projects and formal certification for artisans in the construction sector.
According to the group, these measures would improve compliance, strengthen quality control, and help reduce preventable building failures nationwide.