SampleGroup Exercise

Building Failure & Collapse in Lagos State – Crisis Communications

The Crisis

Another building collapses in the Adeniji Adele area of the Lagos metropolis, with sources at the scene reporting scores of people trapped under the rubble. The latest incident occurred at Sagbemi Street, at approximately 4p.m.Four persons have been rescued so far from the three-storey building believed to have served asresidences and shops. The police public relations officer in Lagos State, Samuel Jinadu, has confirmed the incident. Some area residents stated that the building had showed signs of possible collapse for some time. Over ten different companies occupied the building before the collapse including the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Okay God Investment Limited, the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, among others.

Just two days ago, a six-storey building collapsed in Ketu area of Maryland. Eye witnesses told the press that they heard a loud noise which shook the building violently leaving cracks in the walls. Police evacuated occupants of the building when there were signs the collapse was imminent and they all gathered outside watching until the building gradually started giving way. Officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), who arrived at the scene shortly before the building collapsed cordoned off the street and restricted the movement of people and vehicles. More than 300 staff of the companies were seen scampering for safety when they heard a loud slam coming from the building. Seconds later, the lower floor gave way and the building toppled like a house of cards. No casualties were reported. LASEMA experts estimated the damage at 4 billion Naira.

Background

The frequency of building failure and collapse has become a major issue of concern in the development of Lagos State, as the magnitude of such incidents are becoming more frequent and alarming. Studies found that building failure and collapse stem principally from hasty and faulty construction, bad design, foundation failure, low quality workmanship, lack of proper/poor supervision, inexperience (use of incompetent hands), ignorance, evasion/non-compliance with building regulations and non-enforcement of building quality, standards and controls on construction site/market, use of low quality materials, ineffective enforcement of building codes by the relevant authorities, lack of proper maintenance. Studies have also shown that 70% of the reported cases of building collapse in Lagos State stemmed from the informal sector.

In 2011, the Lagos State Ministry of Works devised a new policy to address the recurring issue of building collapse. The Lagos State Building Safety Policy (Policy) is being implemented through the newly-formed Building Regulation, Monitoring & Enforcement Department. The Department has been tasked to achieve the following outputs:

1)Increase awareness among all three tiers of government and their agencies on the need for compliance with building regulations (e.g. among contractors, sector professionals, other stakeholders and the general public) and the dangers/costs associated with their non-compliance/evasion. This might include a hotline for people to report cases of suspected violation of building codes and maintenance regulations.

2)The Town Planning Authority will be incorporated into the new department and will employ competent professionals in all relevant areas for design approval while providing training in monitoring and enforcement. Monitoring visits to construction sites with a view to ensuring compliance with the approved building plans will be conducted on a regularly scheduled basis. Existing structures considered ‘at risk’ will also be inspected and evaluated for safety violations.

3)The Department will focus on the informal construction sector with a view to improving their standards and sensitising them on the new Policy, understanding the importance of sound construction to building safety in Lagos State, and the use of substandard materials in building construction.

4)Stiffer penalties (such as license revocation, jail and steep fines) will be enforced for owners of at-risk or collapsed buildings and criminal charges will be pursued in collaboration with the Nigerian police, in cases of gross negligence and loss of life. The Department will be responsible for withdrawing of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) issued to owners or developers of collapsed buildings and will maintain the authority to take-over the affected properties.

Communication Objective

Defuse the crisis and secure the reputation of the Lagos State Government-- create an effective crisis communications strategy on behalf of the Ministry of Works to be delivered to government stakeholders, residents of Lagos State, national and international media.

Group Tasks

1)Design a crisis communications plan on behalf of the Ministry of Works for state and non-state actors.

2)Draft a press release for delivery to the international and national media.

Elements of a Crisis Communications Strategy

  • Preparing for the crisis
  • Communicating during the crisis
  • After the crisis
  • Critical elements
  • Gather data
  • Identify affected stakeholders
  • Assemble crisis teams
  • Establish crisis centre
  • Name crisis spokesperson
  • Prepare Briefing Materials
  • Implement Crisis Communications Plan
  • Identify the communications objective(s)

Possible Stakeholders

Government

  • Governor’s Office
  • Lagos State Ministry of Works
  • Lagos State Government ministries, agencies
  • Building Regulation, Monitoring & Enforcement Department
  • Police & Other Law Enforcement Agencies
  • Neighbouring State governments
  • Federal Ministry of Works and related federal-level MDAs
  • Local Governments in Lagos State

Lawmakers

  • State Assembly members
  • National Assembly, Senate members
  • Committees on trade, safety, works, housing, justice, other

Current Industry players

  • Construction sector
  • Formal - Construction Companies, Building Contractors, other
  • Informal – Day labourers, etc.
  • Building material suppliers
  • Insurance companies
  • Property Owners and Developers
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • Financial institutions, e.g. mortgage banks
  • Retailers
  • Others?

Organized Private Sector

  • Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN)
  • Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  • Mortgage Banking Association of Nigeria
  • Property Owners Association
  • Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria
  • Nigerian Institution of Surveyors
  • Mortgage Bankers Association of Nigeria
  • Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors & Valuers
  • Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors
  • Nigerian Institute of Town Planners
  • Nigerian Society of Engineers
  • The Nigerian Institute of Safety Professionals
  • Nigerian Institute of Architects
  • Nigeria Insurers Association
  • Nigerian Institute of Building
  • Nigeria Institute of Civil Engineers
  • Society of Construction Industry Arbitrators of Nigeria
  • Hoteliers Association
  • Others?

Other groups

  • Political Parties (specify— ruling party, opposition or both)
  • Faith-based organisations; Religious leaders
  • Trade unions
  • Universities and think tanks
  • Traditional authorities; Village leaders, Religious leaders
  • International Donors

Citizens, general public

  • Residents of Lagos city
  • Residents of Lagos State
  • Residents of neighbouring states

Media – specify newspaper, radio, TV, social media

  • National
  • State- & Local-Govt-level
  • Private Media TV & Radio Stations
  • International media organisations
  • FRCN

Crisis Communications Plan Template

Task / Description / Responsibility
Introduction – Descriptions of potential crises that the plan addresses, i.e., humanitarian, natural disasters, political, financial, etc.
The Crisis Communication Team – this is the core group that executes all actions during a crisis. Minimum – Top Level Ministry Officials (at least 2), Public Relations Officers, assistants. / Name:
Tel:
Area of Competence:
Name:
Tel:
Area of Competence:
Name:
Tel:
Area of Competence:
Positioning – (main message) decision on what position the Ministry will take
Designated Spokesperson – one primary spokesperson from the Ministry, and a back-up. Both preferable with media experience, training
Media Policies and Procedures – 1.Select a place to use as the crisis centre.
2. Select a location for interviews.
3. Follow any media and communications procedures if available.
4. All media should be treated equally.
Practicing Tough Questions – write out tough questions and practice answers. It is better to be over-prepared. / 1. Q& A
2. Q& A
3. Q& A
Prepared Statements – If you don’t communicate immediately, you lose opportunity to control the situation.
1. Give confirmed facts from reliable sources.
2. Show concerns for the public and your staff.
3. Prepare a general statement and have ready for immediate release.
Sample News Release – see below
Collateral Materials - information brochures or materials on the Ministry and the Policy addressing the crisis
Key Audiences – from stakeholder list
Contact Log -
A log should be established to record all telephone calls from the media or other parties inquiring about the crisis. This will help to ensure that the many call-backs required are not overlooked. It will also assist in the post-crisis analysis. / The contact log should contain the following information:
1. Date
Name of caller
Questions(s) asked Telephone number?
Person responsible for response Additional follow-up needs
Speaker's Presentations – create a checklist of do’s and don’ts. Review suggestions below
Handling Media Interviews – review suggestions below

Example:

A ______at ______involving ______occurred today at ______. The incident is under investigation and more information is forthcoming as we learn more details of the incident.

A (what happened) at (location) involving (who) occurred today at (time). The incident is under investigation and more information is forthcoming.

You could indicate a definitive time for the next news conference or release of information if you know it, but it is not necessary. This will not solve your problems, but may buy you enough time to prepare for the next news conference or release.

You could also add information if it is available such as how many casualties there are known up to this point or any other pertinent information available. Once again, this information must be definitive and not speculative, verify everything you say. This will help your credibility in the long run.

Sample News Release Statement

A building collapsed at 1210 Market Street, today at 3 p.m. Emergency services are on the scene and the incident is under investigation. At this point, we do not have exact information on casualties, but initial estimates indicate that 30 people have been injured. Four people have been rescued already and there are no confirmed fatalities. We will provide more information as details emerge.

The (designated person) will hold a news conference at the Ministry of Works at 5pm today, in the Commissioner’s conference room.

Our sympathy goes out to the victims involved in the incident. We are working closely with emergency officials and all other government agencies to do everything in our power to take care of the victims, secure the area and identify the causes of the accident, and we will communicate further details as soon as they become available.