Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the demolition of the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) House on Lagos Island after a massive fire outbreak ravaged the building.
The governor issued the directive on Thursday during an on-the-spot assessment of the scene of the inferno at Martins Street, Lagos Island.
Sanwo-Olu said a committee, headed by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Gbenga Oyerinde, had been set up to determine the safest and quickest way to bring down the structure within a few days.
According to the governor, preliminary findings showed that the building, originally constructed for office use, had been converted into a warehouse, with several floors used to store highly combustible materials.
He disclosed that the fire started from the fourth and fifth floors before spreading rapidly to the upper levels late on Wednesday night.
“This building has had fire incidents in the past. Unfortunately, it was being used as a warehouse, with inflammable materials stored across multiple floors, which made firefighting extremely difficult,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He explained that although first responders arrived early and deployed aerial ladder equipment, the intensity of the fire escalated around 8 p.m. due to the nature of materials stored inside the building.
The governor confirmed that no fatalities had been recorded, adding that between seven and 10 people sustained injuries and were conveyed to hospitals by ambulances operated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).
Sanwo-Olu further noted that parts of the structure had already suffered partial collapse, making demolition unavoidable once the fire is completely extinguished.
He renewed calls for heightened fire safety awareness during the dry season, particularly between December and February, when harmattan conditions increase fire risks.
“People must stop storing highly inflammable materials in residential and office buildings, especially in densely populated market areas. We will intensify advocacy and enforcement to prevent a repeat of this,” he said.
Meanwhile, the operational commander of the Federal Fire Service in Lagos, Musa Emmanuel, said firefighters were still battling the blaze, noting that the close proximity of surrounding buildings and the unknown contents of the affected structure had complicated firefighting efforts.
According to him, no injuries or loss of life had been recorded so far, adding that the cause of the fire would be determined after the site is fully secured.
More than 10 buildings were affected by the inferno, with at least two severely damaged and several others partially impacted.
Emergency responders from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Fire Service, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority remain on ground managing the incident.