You've probably seen images of the Alakija building collapse, but Kenneth Nwabueze and Jeffery Okoro have a personal account of that horrific day. Both men lost their businesses and one of Nwabueze's apprentices died. They recount the events that led up to the tragedy. According to Nwabueze, there were visible cracks on the walls last week, but the landlord didn't take action before the building collapsed on Thursday. Both men were hoping the landlord would fix it, as he had promised. Nwabueze explained they were waiting for government approval, which his landlord claimed was required in Lagos State before carrying out major renovation work on the building. Nwabueze's apprentice lived with his parents and came from their residence to work every day. He had never seen his apprentice so he didn't even know where they lived. Nwabueze had to break the sad news to his apprentice's parents. They heard about it and came to the scene where they saw everything that happened. Nwabueze expressed his regret that he stayed despite warning signs.

'We were hoping the landlord would fix it, as he had promised.'

Nwabueze recounted how he got to the shop around 9 am on that fateful day. He was finishing up a job for a Chinese company and was supposed to deliver it to them. Meanwhile, another shop owner was preparing for her father’s burial and arrived at the scene earlier than planned. Nwabueze asked her to wait while he delivered the job and returned to the office.

Within five minutes, Nwabueze received a call that the building had collapsed. His heart skipped a beat and he immediately ran back. His secretary called him saying they were trapped under the rubble. While he was on his way, his secretary asked him to come quickly. Nwabueze directed the rescue workers to their location. As luck would have it, everyone except his apprentice was rescued.

'The lives lost cannot be brought back, but the money and businesses that are gone can be replaced.'

Okoro recounted how he narrowly escaped the tragedy. He said losing a business to an accident like that is like losing a part of one's self. He expressed his gratitude that he is alive to tell the story. Both men agreed that the collapse of the building was not just a tragedy but also a stark reminder of the importance of prioritizing life over material wealth.

Lagos Building Collapse: Key Facts

  • Date: Thursday, 2026-06-28
  • Location: Alakija, Oriade Local Council Development Area, Lagos State
  • Number of fatalities: 9
  • Number of people who narrowly escaped death: 2
  • State of the building: Three-storey building that collapsed due to cracks on the walls