At least seven lifeless bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a collapsed school building in central Nigeria's Plateau state on Friday, a Reuters witness said.

The two-story building, belonging to Saint Academy in the Busa Buji community of Jos north district in the state, gave way during school hours around 0730 GMT, raising concerns about student and teacher casualties.

So far, five students have been rescued alive. Rescue efforts are underway, with security personnel including soldiers and police at the scene.

Building collapses are frequent in Africa's most populous country due to lax regulations and often substandard construction materials.