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Story by, Paul Mensah Nsor
Leading engineering bodies in Ghana called for immediate, nationwide reforms after preliminary investigations into a series of recent building collapses revealed widespread regulatory failures, inadequate foundations, poor material quality and unauthorized modifications.
At a press briefing in Accra, Ing. Joshua Allotey, Chairman of the Structures Sub-Division of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), delivered a joint statement on behalf of the GhIE, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Ghana, and the Local Government Service Engineers Association.
The statement outlined findings from site inspections at several collapse locations, including Adenta, Avelo, Newtown Experimental Site and other affected areas, and urged stronger enforcement of building standards to prevent further loss of life.
“We extend our deepest condolences to families who have lost loved ones and wish a full and speedy recovery to the injured,” the institutions said, emphasizing that every preventable structural failure is unacceptable.
Key findings from the preliminary investigations
- Unengineered and abandoned structures: Several collapsed buildings were constructed without qualified engineering input or were abandoned yet remained accessible to the public, posing significant safety risks. The collapse pattern included unengineered multi‑storey residential buildings and an abandoned school structure in Newtown.
- Inadequate foundations and geotechnical non‑compliance: Inspections revealed shallow, improperly embedded foundations—some in high water‑table areas—insufficient for the loads imposed. Foundation exposure at multiple sites raised concerns about noncompliance with basic geotechnical standards.
- Regulatory non‑compliance and weak enforcement: Projects were observed to have commenced without approved architectural or structural drawings or valid building permits. In several cases, issued stop‑work orders were ignored.
- Unauthorized modifications and change of use: Vertical extensions and conversions of residential buildings into churches, schools or commercial facilities were carried out without professional assessment, increasing loads the original structures were not designed to bear.
- Structural deficiencies and progressive collapse: Investigators reported inadequate reinforcement detailing, poor quality concrete, discontinuous load‑bearing columns and other construction malpractices that led to progressive failures, including pancake‑type collapses.
- Poor material quality in the informal sector: The investigation highlighted inconsistent quality in masonry blocks produced in the informal sector, which can critically undermine the stability of low‑rise structures.
Environmental conditions such as heavy rain, rising groundwater and strong winds were identified as triggering factors that exposed pre‑existing structural weaknesses, particularly in shallow foundations, but the institutions stressed these were not root causes.
The institutions proposed a series of urgent measures, including:
- A National Retroactive Structural Certification Program requiring owners of buildings two stories and above to submit certified architectural and structural drawings, structural assessment reports and retrofit proposals within a six‑ to 12‑month compliance window. Unsafe buildings would be restricted, partially closed or evacuated until remediated.
- Mandatory stage‑by‑stage inspections by qualified assembly engineers, with no concrete works proceeding without verification of excavation and foundation stages.
- Lifelong professional responsibility for registered engineers and architects extending beyond design to construction monitoring, maintenance and prevention of unauthorized alterations.
- Formal certification programs for artisans and steel vendors operating in the informal construction sector to improve workmanship and material quality.
- Periodic mandatory structural assessments for aging buildings, high‑occupancy facilities, buildings undergoing changes of use, abandoned structures and public infrastructure.
- Securing collapse sites to preserve evidence and enable laboratory testing and detailed structural simulations, which are ongoing.
Next steps and commitments
The GhIE, IET Ghana and the Local Government Service Engineers Association pledged to support national authorities in strengthening enforcement, improving accountability and promoting safer building practices. Comprehensive final reports will be issued upon completion of laboratory analyses and technical investigations.
The institutions reiterated a call for shared responsibility, between developers, professionals, regulators and the public, and urged communities to report suspicious or unauthorized construction activities.
