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Having recorded 1,685 fire incidents resulting in 133 deaths and billions lost in property damages in Lagos in 2025 alone, stakeholders have called for mandatory fire insurance for markets and traders to protect traders against losses from fire outbreaks, as they urged the state government to partner with market associations and insurance companies to improve safety and support the recovery of affected businesses.
The President of the Ndigboamaka Progressive Market Association, Chinedu Ukatu, made this call in Lagos on Monday noting that compulsory insurance, improved electrical installations and better market infrastructure were necessary to reduce the impact of recurring fires on traders and their investments.
Ukatu, who spoke at the premiere of a documentary, Burning Point: Inside Lagos Fire, said traders often lost their entire inventory in fires but remained responsible for repaying loans obtained to finance their businesses. “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 said.
He said the losses could leave traders struggling to rebuild their businesses while meeting existing financial obligations.
Ukatu urged the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the Lagos State Government to work with market associations to make fire insurance compulsory for shops, noting that collective arrangements could make coverage more accessible to traders.
“It has been very difficult for me and for all of us as market leader 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 said.
He also proposed the establishment of a Lagos State Fire Emergency Fund involving the government, market associations and private-sector organisations to provide immediate financial assistance to traders affected by fires. According to him, the proposed fund could provide between N1 million and N3 million to affected traders within 28 hours to help them restart their businesses.
Ukatu further called for the rehabilitation of dilapidated markets, the replacement of unsafe electrical wiring and the provision of accessible roads to enable fire trucks to reach affected locations quickly. He alleged that inadequate inspections, poor infrastructure and the storage of highly flammable goods in shops increased the risks facing traders.
The market association president also called for the training of volunteer market fire marshals to provide initial emergency intervention before professional firefighters arrive.
Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat said the state had expanded its firefighting capacity but stressed the need for stronger preventive measures, compliance with safety requirements and greater public awareness.
Hamzat who was represented by the DG, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye said the number of fire stations in Lagos had increased from 14 in 2019 to 29, while the government had procured 62 new vehicles across different operational categories to support firefighting, rescue operations and other emergency services. She added that the government had recruited 685 personnel between 2019 and 2026 and supported local and international training to improve their technical competence.
However, she said equipment and personnel alone could not prevent fire disasters, stressing that building owners, businesses and facility managers must maintain safe electrical installations, accessible escape routes and comply with applicable fire safety requirements.
“The best fire incident is the one prevented. The best fire fought is the one prevented,” she said.
She added that fire prevention required cooperation among government agencies, businesses, property owners, communities and the media, while investigations into major incidents should establish the causes and identify areas requiring corrective action.
The founder of CBI News, Chris Baywood Ibe said the documentary was intended to move public discussion beyond the immediate destruction caused by fires to the underlying causes, preparedness, emergency response and accountability.
He said the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service rescued 473 people and saved property valued at N118 billion. Ibe said fire safety should be treated as a public safety and economic priority, given the impact of outbreaks on households, traders, businesses and communities.
He called for stronger coordination among government agencies, emergency responders, businesses and citizens, as well as investment in modern equipment, professional training, regular safety inspections and public education.
He also urged households and businesses to ensure that their fire extinguishers remained valid and functional, warning that owning safety equipment was not enough without proper maintenance and preparedness.
The documentary premiere brought together representatives of the Lagos State Government, the fire service, market associations and other stakeholders to discuss measures to prevent fire outbreaks and reduce their human and economic consequences.
