How weak regulations’ enforcement fuels Lagos markets’ fire disaster
In Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial centre, markets serve as the lifeblood of daily trade that provides sustenance and livelihood for thousands of traders. But, behind the vibrant economic activities lie an ever-present danger of fire that has brought misery to many and continues to loom large. JOHNSON IDOWU writes on the recurring fire incidents in Lagos markets and how neglect in regulatory enforcement and safety awareness has created a ticking time bomb
Lagos markets have long been the nerve centres of trade, from the sprawling Balogun Market to the buzzing Ladipo Market, The Arena Market in Oshodi, Ilepo food market and the ever-busy Computer Village in Ikeja where commercial activities thrive in the heart of Nigeria’s economic capital. Every day, buyers and sellers meet to ensure the wheels of commerce turn steadily.
However, what lurks behind this economic vigour is a systemic failure to maintain safety standards. For decades, Lagos markets have been besieged by fires, causing untold hardship for traders who lose their livelihoods in a matter of minutes. These fire incidents, often preventable, are rooted in unsafe practices, regulatory failures, and ignorance of fire prevention protocols.
The genesis of the fire problem can be traced back to multiple causes: poor electrical wiring, overcrowded market spaces, illegal structures, lack of fire extinguishers, and inadequate awareness campaigns on fire safety. Despite Lagos being the commercial capital of Nigeria, many of its busy markets remain vulnerable to destructive fires due to these issues.
Data by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services revealed that 1,011 fire incidents were recorded in Lagos State between January and August 2024 which according to the Lagos State Emergency Management report constituted the third contributing factor to emergencies and disasters in the state.
The growing number of fire incidents has posed a challenge to even the government of the state with concerns about how fire incidents could be curbed in the market.
On January 22, 2024, at least 6,700 traders lost their goods to a fire that gutted the popular Mandilas building on Broad Street, Lagos Island Local Government Area of Lagos State. The fire also destroyed no fewer than 450 shops, 30 offices, two hotels, and five restaurants located in the 14-storey building, according to the Lagos State Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye.
The fire, according to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, was caused by careless welding during the installation of a power generator on the second floor of the building.
Narrating their losses to this reporter who visited the scene of the fire at the time, the traders lamented that goods worth billions in naira were destroyed in the fire.
A trader who identified herself as Sewa lamented the impact of the fire which she claimed had left her devastated.
“I sell clothes in this building and my goods were affected. I can’t even quantify the loss that I have incurred from this incident. I am devastated at this moment. Do you know how many goods have been lost to this fire?” Sewa asked.
Another trader identified as Badmus, in a WhatsApp status sighted by our correspondent, disclosed that he lost goods estimated at N200m to the fire incident.
The message read in part, “We were deeply affected by the fire as I lost all the stock in my warehouse of more than 7,000 shoes estimated to be N200m and all the documents in my office including deals I had not concluded yet.
“I am someone who believes everything happens for a reason, but this is a lot to comprehend. Will Badmus Store bounce back? Sure, it will, if our customers stick with us.”
At the popular Balogun Market, the scars of recent fire outbreaks are still fresh. A five-storey building on Gbajumo Street was gutted by fire, leading to the loss of goods worth millions of naira.
According to eyewitnesses, the inferno started around 11 pm on the said date when traders had closed for the day.
A resident, Mojeed Adetutu, said the fire started on the first floor before it affected the entire building.
He said, “When we heard about the fire, we rushed down to this place and saw that there was electricity in the building while it was burning. We assisted the firefighters in quenching it but in the middle of the night, we realised that the fire had progressed to the second floor.
“At that point, we concluded that the situation was beyond control. Sadly, some of the fire trucks that came had no water. They had to borrow a fire truck from the United Bank of Africa. By 6 am the next day, the fire had progressed to the third and fourth floors.
“We’re just trying to make a living,” said Sarah Ogundele, a shoe vendor. “But when you lose everything to a fire, it’s like starting life all over again. Some people never recover.”
A trader, who identified herself as Iya Bimpe, had said, “Some traders lost goods worth N10m while others lost goods worth N40m. The least loss recorded is N3m. Items sold in the market included Italian shoes, bags, suits, and children’s shoes. Some traders just bought goods for the New Year” recounting the losses of traders at the Mandilas building fire.
Similar tales of woe abound in the Ladipo Plank Market in Orile-Iganmu in the Surulere area of the state. A fire incident that occurred on November 1, 2023, also left tales of woes. About 300 shops were destroyed in the fire incident with traders lamenting that goods to the tune of billions in naira were destroyed.
A trader who identified as Rasheed had narrated, “One thing we cannot ascertain is how the fire started. All I know is that the fire started around 12:30 am. People were not allowed to sleep in the market so I wonder what happened and how the fire started.
“Each wood cost N1,800 and some of them cost N2,500, so billions have been lost in this fire. The saddest thing is that some people just restocked their shops and now all their properties have been lost,” he said.
Traders like Aisha Olanipekun also recount close encounters with fire. “The last fire that happened here almost consumed my shop. I only escaped because I came to open early that day. The market is overcrowded, and there’s no space to move when a fire starts. It’s a death trap,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration.
The destruction caused by market fires goes beyond the immediate loss of goods. These incidents have far-reaching economic and social consequences for the traders who depend on the markets for survival. Many traders take loans to stock their stalls, and when fires wipe out their businesses, they are left with nothing but debt.
For market traders, the danger of fire is not an abstract threat; it is a constant, looming reality. The dense arrangement of stalls, illegal construction, and the absence of proper fire safety measures have created an environment where a single spark can ignite an unstoppable blaze.
Beyond the traders, these fires have a profound impact on the local economy. Markets serve as hubs of trade and commerce, and when they are destroyed, entire supply chains are disrupted, affecting businesses across the state and even beyond.
Safety violations, regulatory failures
The causes of market fires are numerous but often preventable. One of the major culprits is electrical faults caused by illegal and unsafe wiring. Many traders tap into the electrical grid without proper authorisation, leading to overloading and short circuits that can spark fires.
Another contributing factor is the construction of illegal stalls and shops that block access roads and prevent fire trucks from reaching affected areas. Markets in Lagos are notoriously overcrowded, and the illegal expansion of trading spaces has made it impossible for firefighters to navigate the narrow pathways when emergencies arise. As a result, fires spread quickly, consuming entire sections of the market before help can arrive.
In March, a fire incident at the Idumota market in the Lagos Island area of the state was escalated due to scarcity of water. No fewer than four buildings were destroyed as a result of the fire.
According to Farinloye, the emergency responders were faced with the challenge of water supply that could have aided the effective quelling of the fire, preventing the escalation and the level of damage caused by the fire.
He stressed that there was no water source within proximity of the fire incident, thereby forcing the fire vehicles to go in turn to get water.
Farinloye had said, “The major problem we had was the lack of a water source. We have over 10 firefighting appliances and in the whole of Lagos Island, there is nowhere we can source water. So, each of these firefighting appliances had to go about three to four times to fetch water.
“Julius Berger also had to supply us with 30,000 litres of water. Both the Federal Fire Service and the State Fire Service were on the ground, but there was not enough water.”
Similarly, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, Magaret Adeseye, stressed that combatting fire in Lagos markets is strenuous because of the overcrowded markets that often make crowd control difficult.
“Some of the challenges faced by the LSFRS in combatting market fires include; Right of way to scene of the incidents, crowd control and congestion in Lagos markets. It has always been a great challenge accessing the scene of fire incidents. Also, there’s the challenge of non-adherence to fire safety, rules and practices most especially in the marketplaces,” Adeseye said in a recent interview with this reporter.
