LSMTL Mobilises Women as First Line of Defence for Construction Safety at COWLSO Conference

The Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) has launched a fresh drive to combat the menace of building collapse across Lagos, enlisting women as vital partners in strengthening the city’s construction safety framework.

Speaking during a plenary session themed “Women as Partners in Ensuring Safe and Secure Communities through Construction Materials Testing” at the 2025 National Women’s Conference of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), the General Manager of LSMTL, Engr. Olayinka Abdul, urged women to become the State’s frontline sentinels in safeguarding the built environment.

She emphasised that building safety is not merely an engineering concern but a profound community and family issue.

“Every building collapse is a tragedy — lives are lost, families shattered, and communities devastated. Too often, the root cause lies beneath the surface in substandard construction materials,” she said. “We cannot build a Greater Lagos on weak foundations, but on strong, well-tested materials that ensure durability and quality.”

Engr. Abdul highlighted the “invisible enemies” behind structural failures — weak concrete, brittle steel, poor soil, and saline water — which silently erode the strength of buildings over time.

Positioning the agency as the State’s scientific guardian, she explained that LSMTL’s mandate is to test, certify, and enforce material standards to guarantee public safety. She also listed early warning signs such as spalling, cracks, and dampness on walls, often ignored until they trigger major collapses.

“The Agency cannot be everywhere at once,” she noted. “This is where you come in — as women, caregivers, and community organisers. You are not expected to be engineers, but community sentinels. You have the power and the responsibility to ask questions, demand compliance, and report potential violations around you.”

She encouraged participants to engage with ongoing construction activities in their neighbourhoods by enquiring whether materials such as soil, concrete, and steel have been tested and certified by LSMTL.

Through this initiative, LSMTL seeks to transform public awareness into active vigilance, ensuring that safety becomes a shared civic culture — one built not only with strong materials but also with informed and empowered citizens.