According to witnesses, up to 100 people were missing when a luxury residential highrise under construction in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial city, fell on Monday, trapping construction workers beneath a mountain of concrete rubble.

On Monday night (Tuesday AEDT), a body was recovered. At least three survivors were rescued as rescue personnel raced against the clock to dig up victims at the site in the upscale Ikoyi neighborhood, where many blocks of apartments are under construction.

According to Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the state emergency chief, at least six persons have died.

"At this time, all responders are on the ground, and the search and rescue operation is still ongoing," he said.

At the site, four people were retrieved alive, and three others were treated for minor injuries.

Workers estimated that up to 100 people were working when the structure collapsed.

The fallen structure was one of three planned by private developer Fourscore Homes. The company claims to offer "a stress-free lifestyle with a hotel flair" in a brochure for potential clients. The most affordable unit was $US1.2 million ($1.6 million).

Rescue crews employed excavators and generator-powered floodlights to dig through the rubble, with work continuing until daybreak. President Muhammadu Buhari has called for increased rescue efforts.

As several workers gazed on, there were heaps of rubble and twisted metal where the building formerly stood. One man cried out in agony, claiming that his relative was among the imprisoned.

The structure has 22 floors, according to the Lagos state government, and authorities were examining whether surrounding buildings had been damaged.

Calls to the given phone numbers for Fourscore Homes and the primary construction contractor were not returned.

Building collapses are common in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, where standards are regularly disregarded and construction materials are generally of poor quality.