Abia Makes Soil Tests Compulsory Before Building Approval

(Okey Kanu. Photo by Daily Post)

Mandatory soil and geotechnical tests are now prerequisites before building permits can be granted, according to the Commissioner, who explained that going forward, anyone seeking to obtain a building plan must first present soil and geotechnical test certificates.

The Commissioner said gutters in erosion-prone areas identified within Umuahia were being desilted to prevent flooding disasters, adding that the state government had approved immediate intervention in Emede Ibeku, Umuahia North, a community devastated by gully erosion.

Speaking on the cases of building collapses in Umuahia, the General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Kingsley Agomoh, disclosed that his agency had identified several buildings with structural defects within the city.

Agomoh said enforcement measures had commenced to prevent further building collapses, revealing that an ongoing building project that collapsed along Finbars Road on July 17, 2026, had earlier been flagged as an endangered structure.

He explained that the building had in fact been sealed by the UCDA in June 2026, prior to its eventual collapse.

He also disclosed that another building on Niger Road, Umuahia, had been found to be suffering from structural defects, noting that the owners of the affected property had been directed to demolish it.
According to the Abia State Government, a developer cannot receive a building permit in the state unless they obtain the necessary soil and geotechnical test certificates for the project.

The action was taken in reaction to recent building collapses in the State's Umuahia, Aba, and Ikwuano regions.

Tests must be conducted to ascertain the integrity of the soil on which buildings are to be placed, according to Commissioner for Information Okey Kanu, who spoke to reporters on Monday regarding the results of this week's executive council meeting, which was chaired by Governor Alex Otti.

(Collapse building)