Kayode Tokede
Stakeholders have demanded stronger prevention and stricter enforcement towards hearth incidents in Lagos as document confirmed a complete of 1,685 hearth incidents in 2025 alone resulted in 133 deaths and billions misplaced in property damages.
The stakeholders on the premiere of “Burning Point: Inside Lagos’ Fires”, an investigative documentary produced by CBI News, referred to as for a compulsory hearth insurance coverage for markets and merchants to guard merchants towards losses from hearth outbreaks.
These calls have been made in Lagos the place public officers and different stakeholders highlighted the devastating results of fires on companies, livelihoods and households.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, who was represented by the Director-General, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, mentioned the state had expanded its firefighting capability however pressured the necessity for stronger preventive measures, compliance with security necessities and higher public consciousness.
Hamzat mentioned the variety of hearth stations in Lagos had elevated from 14 in 2019 to 29, whereas the federal government had procured 62 new autos throughout completely different operational classes to assist firefighting, rescue operations and different emergency providers. She added that the federal government had recruited 685 personnel between 2019 and 2026 and supported native and worldwide coaching to enhance their technical competence.
However, he defined that gear and personnel alone couldn’t stop hearth disasters, stressing that constructing homeowners, companies and facility managers should preserve protected electrical installations, accessible escape routes and adjust to relevant hearth security necessities.
“The best fire incident is the one prevented. The best fire fought is the one prevented,” he mentioned.
Hamzat added that fireplace prevention required cooperation amongst authorities companies, companies, property homeowners, communities and the media, whereas investigations into main incidents ought to set up the causes and establish areas requiring corrective motion.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, nonetheless raised issues about substandard photo voltaic power merchandise getting into Nigeria as households and companies more and more search alternate options to costly electrical energy and diesel.
He referred to as for stronger regulation by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and different related companies to make sure that electrical and photo voltaic merchandise meet security necessities.
The President of the Ndigboamaka Progressive Market Association, Chinedu Ukatu, famous that obligatory insurance coverage, improved electrical installations and higher market infrastructure have been mandatory to scale back the influence of recurring fires on merchants and their investments.
Ukatu mentioned merchants usually misplaced their whole stock in fires however remained answerable for repaying loans obtained to finance their companies.
“A trader who borrowed N20 million to do business. He bought goods. He sells in shops. One spark in the night, everything is gone. He goes back to zero,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the losses may depart merchants struggling to rebuild their companies whereas assembly present monetary obligations.
Ukatu urged the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the Lagos State Government to work with market associations to make hearth insurance coverage obligatory for outlets, noting that collective preparations may make protection extra accessible to merchants.
“It has been very difficult for me and for all of us as market leaders alone to enforce it. But if you ask me, if National Insurance Commission and Lagos State Government can partner with our association and make fire insurance compulsory in our shops, we are going to work in collaboration with you to get it done,” he mentioned.
He additionally proposed the institution of a Lagos State Fire Emergency Fund involving the federal government, market associations and private-sector organisations to supply instant monetary help to merchants affected by fires. According to him, the proposed fund may present between N1 million and N3 million to affected merchants inside 28 hours to assist them restart their companies.
Ukatu additional referred to as for the rehabilitation of dilapidated markets, the substitute of unsafe electrical wiring and the availability of accessible roads to allow hearth vehicles to achieve affected areas shortly. He alleged that insufficient inspections, poor infrastructure and the storage of extremely flammable items in outlets elevated the dangers going through merchants.
The market affiliation president additionally referred to as for the coaching of volunteer market hearth marshals to supply preliminary emergency intervention earlier than skilled firefighters arrive.
The founding father of CBI News, Chris Baywood Ibe, mentioned the documentary was meant to maneuver public dialogue past the instant destruction attributable to fires to the underlying causes, preparedness, emergency response and accountability.
He mentioned the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service rescued 473 folks and saved property valued at N118 billion. Ibe mentioned hearth security needs to be handled as a public security and financial precedence, given the influence of outbreaks on households, merchants, companies and communities.
He referred to as for stronger coordination amongst authorities companies, emergency responders, companies and residents, in addition to funding in trendy gear, skilled coaching, common security inspections and public training.
He additionally urged households and companies to make sure that their hearth extinguishers remained legitimate and practical, warning that proudly owning security gear was not sufficient with out correct upkeep and preparedness.
The documentary premiere introduced collectively representatives of the Lagos State Government, the hearth service, market associations and different stakeholders to debate measures to forestall hearth outbreaks and cut back their human and financial penalties.
