Ghana must take public safety seriously — Institute of Architects says after Accra Newtown building collapse

The Tony Asare, President of the Ghana Institute of Architects, has called for urgent action to protect lives following the recent building collapse at Accra Newtown, warning that Ghana is failing to prioritise public safety.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, 30 March 2026, Mr. Asare said repeated incidents of building collapses reveal deep weaknesses in enforcement, regulation, and professional oversight across the country.

“This country must take the safety of its people seriously,” he said, describing the situation as frustrating. He noted that similar warnings have been issued over the years with little change. “It’s even difficult to comment because we’ve done this over and over again. First and foremost, we need to ask ourselves why this keeps happening,” he added.

Questions of Expertise and Oversight

Mr. Asare questioned whether the problem lies in a lack of expertise or a failure to enforce standards.

“Don’t we have competent architects in this country? Don’t we have competent structural engineers? What is the assembly doing when it comes to development control and ensuring that quality assurance is achieved on all sites?” he asked.

The Accra Newtown collapse, which occurred on Sunday, involved an uncompleted structure within the premises of the Accra New Town Experimental Basic School — a site also used by Christian worshippers.

He cautioned that religious activities, including drumming and singing, can exacerbate structural weaknesses.

“In our churches, we do a lot of drumming and singing. These activities actually set buildings on resonance and can even weaken them further,” he explained.

Structural Deficiencies and Material Quality

Mr. Asare highlighted widespread deficiencies in building standards, citing poor quality control, lack of supervision, and substandard construction materials.

“A lot of our buildings do not meet standards, but we need to investigate whether it is due to materials, lack of competent workmanship, or because we do not pay attention to quality control and quality assurance,” he said.

He also expressed concerns about regulators’ capacity to monitor construction materials, noting that repeated professional warnings have gone largely unheeded.

“We have always complained about the capacity, whether the Ghana Standards Authority is able to check all these materials on the market, particularly when it comes to reinforcement and its actual diameter,” he said.

“Many engineers and architects have raised concerns, but we are not getting any responses.”

Mr. Asare stressed that some materials in circulation may not meet safety standards, emphasizing the need for proper laboratory testing.

“We have also raised the issue that some of the reinforcement in our market is too brittle and may not meet standards. Most of us design using high-tensile steel, so how do we even check? You need to take your materials to the labs and verify whether the quality is good,” he said.

Shortage of Qualified Professionals

Another critical concern is the shortage of qualified personnel within local assemblies tasked with enforcing building standards.

“We have 261 assemblies. There are only about 10 architects. So who is doing the technical work?” he asked, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen technical capacity at the local government level.

Mr. Asare’s comments come amid growing public debate over building safety in Ghana, with professionals calling for stricter enforcement, better regulation of materials, and improved oversight to prevent future tragedies.