Meet Joshua Okeowo, The Owner Of Banana Island Lagos Building That Collapsed Recently

Meet Joshua Okeowo, The Owner Of Banana Island Lagos Building That Collapsed Recently

A seven-story building under construction in the upscale Banana Island area of Lagos State recently collapsed, causing the death of two site workers and injuring several others. The news has been making rounds on social media and other news platforms. Interestingly, the man behind the collapsed building has been identified as Joshua Okeowo, the younger brother of wealthy businessman and socialite, Sir Olu Okeowo. Both brothers are involved in the construction business, but while the elder Okeowo operates through Gibraltar Holdings Limited, Joshua operates through Joe Faraday Limited, a company he founded 12 years ago.

Sources reveal that Joshua is the managing director of the company, while his wife, Nike, is the chief operating officer of the firm. She also runs Esther of Kish, a company that curates handcrafted jewelry. Following the unfortunate incident, Joshua’s social media page has been under lock and key, and the company’s website is currently under maintenance. But sources reveal that like his older brother, Joshua loves luxury cars.

Apart from his passion for the construction business, Joshua is also a philanthropist who is known for his acts of kindness through his foundation, the Joshua Okeowo Foundation. Despite his philanthropic works, there have been conflicting reasons as to why the building collapsed. While the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) claims the building collapsed after a truck ran into it, the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) blames the collapse of the building on negligence by the contractors handling the building. The Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Physical Planning, and Urban Development, Mukaila Sanusi, claims the building was unapproved.

It remains to be seen if the blame game will eventually lead to the state government taking decisive action against the offender or if it will be swept under the carpet like previous incidents. The tragic incident is a wakeup call for all those involved in the construction industry to prioritize safety and quality in their work. It is hoped that lessons will be learned, and necessary actions taken to prevent a repeat of such a disaster in the future.