Not Just a Collapse: Why the Accra New Town disaster was preventable – Engr. Hasford Judge Quartey writes

Ghana wakes once again to grief. The collapse of a three-storey building in Accra New Town has claimed lives and left many injured. To the bereaved families and those recovering, I extend my deepest sympathies.

But this must be stated plainly: this was not an isolated construction failure. It was the predictable outcome of systemic weaknesses we have tolerated for far too long, particularly the widespread practice of unregulated change of use, weak on-site supervision, and inconsistent enforcement of building standards.

It has been suggested, though not yet verified, that structural concerns were formally raised about this building prior to the collapse. This raises an important question: how do structures that have been flagged for potential deficiencies continue to be occupied, sometimes even in ways that differ from their original design?

Also, reports indicate that rainfall occurred in the early hours before the incident. While this is relevant, it must be clearly understood: weather alone does not bring down structurally sound buildings. At most, rainfall accelerates failure in already compromised structures, for example, through soil saturation that reduces foundation bearing capacity or water ingress that exacerbates existing structural weaknesses. Rain did not cause this collapse, it exposed it.

When Buildings Are Used Beyond Their Design

One of the most overlooked risks in Ghana’s urban development is the informal conversion of buildings from their original purpose to entirely different uses, often without any structural reassessment.

Across our cities, buildings originally designed as residences or classrooms are routinely converted into churches, event centres, or commercial facilities. While such changes may appear economically efficient, they fundamentally alter how a building performs structurally.

A residential building is not designed to carry the same loads as a high-occupancy assembly space. Churches and event centres introduce significantly higher live loads, sustained equipment loads from sound systems, and dynamic forces generated by large, active crowds. These conditions create stress patterns that the original structure was never designed to withstand.

In engineering, design assumptions are not suggestions, they are safety boundaries. When those boundaries are exceeded without proper structural verification, failure is not a surprise; it is a matter of time.

A System Under Strain

The Accra New Town tragedy reflects deeper, systemic issues within Ghana’s construction environment.

Substandard Workmanship

Evidence from past building failures in Ghana consistently points to poor construction practices, including incorrect concrete mix ratios, inadequate curing, and the use of substandard or undersized reinforcement. These deficiencies often remain hidden, until they fail.

Weak or Inconsistent Supervision

In many cases, the engineer responsible for the project’s design and structural integrity is not consistently present on-site. While designs may be approved, actual construction can deviate from specifications without continuous professional oversight. This disconnect between approved design and on-site execution critically undermines structural performance.

Inconsistent Regulatory Enforcement

Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) play a central role in development control. However, enforcement is often concentrated at the permit stage, with limited follow-up during and after construction. As a result, unauthorized modifications, including risky changes of use, can go unchecked.

Fragmented Institutional Supervision

Beyond technical and regulatory weaknesses, another critical issue is fragmented institutional supervision.

In many public and large-scale projects, responsibility for design, funding, execution, and oversight is distributed across multiple entities. While this arrangement is intended to strengthen governance, it can unintentionally create gaps in coordination and continuity.

In practice, concerns may be identified, communicated, and even acknowledged at different stages of a project lifecycle, yet not fully resolved. Where roles and authority are not clearly aligned, the ability to act decisively can become constrained.

This is the challenge of fragmented supervision: when responsibilities are distributed without strong coordination mechanisms, important risks can remain unaddressed, not because they are unknown, but because they fall between institutional processes.

The issue here is not about isolated decisions, but about whether our systems are sufficiently responsive when early warning signs emerge. Where identified risks do not translate into timely restrictions, reassessment, or corrective action, vulnerabilities can persist and, over time, escalate into failure.

From Reaction to Prevention

If Ghana is to prevent recurring tragedies of this nature, a decisive shift from reactive responses to preventive systems is essential.

Regulate Change of Use, Firmly and Clearly

Unauthorized conversion of buildings, particularly into high-occupancy facilities, must attract enforceable consequences. Any proposed change of use should require mandatory structural reassessment and recertification by licensed professionals.

Introduce Mandatory Structural Integrity Audits

Buildings above a defined age threshold, such as 10 to 15 years, or those undergoing functional conversion should be subject to periodic structural integrity audits. This would help identify vulnerabilities before they escalate into disasters.

Enforce Professional Accountability

Supervision must be treated as a core professional obligation, not a procedural formality. Where standards are not met, appropriate professional and regulatory measures should be consistently applied.

Strengthen Institutional Capacity

MMDAs require not only legal backing but also technical resources and modern monitoring systems to track building usage over time. Enforcement must extend beyond initial approvals to continuous compliance.

A Shared Responsibility

Developers and property owners must recognize that informal modifications are not harmless adaptations, they carry real structural consequences. Likewise, professionals and regulators must uphold standards not only in principle but in practice.

Building failures are rarely sudden or mysterious events. They are the result of a chain of decisions, technical, regulatory, and economic, within systems that must be strengthened, not for the purpose of assigning blame, but to prevent recurrence.

We must stop describing such incidents as isolated “collapses.” They are systemic failures, and they are preventable.

Before the Next One Happens

Look around your neighbourhood. Have you noticed a residential building suddenly functioning as a church, event centre, or commercial space, without any visible structural upgrades?

Silence is part of the risk.

If we are serious about saving lives, then awareness must lead to action. Speaking up, enforcing standards, and strengthening systems are not optional, they are necessary.

Let this tragedy mark not just a moment of mourning, but a turning point in how we build, regulate, and take responsibility for the spaces we occupy.

By: Engr. Hasford Judge Quartey