Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the demolition of the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) House on Lagos Island following a major fire outbreak at the building.
The governor gave the directive on Thursday while inspecting the scene of the inferno at Martins Street, Lagos Island. He said the structure would be brought down once the fire is fully extinguished.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that a committee headed by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Gbenga Oyerinde, had been set up to determine the safest and fastest method of demolishing the building within a few days.
According to the governor, preliminary findings showed that the building, originally designed for office use, had been converted into a warehouse, with several floors used to store highly inflammable materials. He said the fire reportedly started from the fourth and fifth floors late on Wednesday night before spreading rapidly to other parts of the building.
“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 was quoted as saying.
He explained that although emergency responders arrived early and deployed aerial ladder equipment, the intensity of the fire increased around 8 p.m. due to the nature of materials stored inside the building.
The governor confirmed that no deaths were recorded, but said between seven and 10 people sustained injuries and were taken to hospitals by ambulances operated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA). He added that parts of the structure had already suffered partial collapse, making demolition inevitable.
Sanwo-Olu also renewed calls for increased fire safety awareness during the dry season, particularly between December and February, when harmattan conditions heighten fire risks. He warned against storing highly inflammable materials in residential and office buildings, especially in densely populated market areas, noting that enforcement would be intensified.
Meanwhile, the operational commander of the Federal Fire Service in Lagos, Musa Emmanuel, said firefighters were still battling the blaze. He noted that the close proximity of surrounding buildings and the unknown contents of the affected structure had complicated firefighting efforts.
Emmanuel added that no fatalities had been recorded so far and said the cause of the fire would be determined after the site is secured.
More than 10 buildings were affected by the fire, with at least two severely damaged and several others partially impacted. Emergency responders from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASEMA, the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Fire Service and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority are currently managing the situation.
