Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, yesterday, charged residents, market associations, government agencies and other critical stakeholders to deepen commitment to learning, improving coordination, and strengthening public awareness about fire disasters to avert potential loss of lives and property.
He said that no single institution could achieve fire safety in isolation but through effective and efficient inter-agency coordination.
Hamzat gave the charge during the “Screening of burning point: Inside Lagos fire,” a documentary premiere and stakeholders’ dialogue organised by CBI digital media, a member company of Baywood Group, in Lagos.
The panellists include Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu; Assistant Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Zikorah Ibeh; ADC gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour; and Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Shakira Amodu, who spoke on: “Beyond the flames: Rethinking disaster preparedness, response and accountability in Nigeria.”
The deputy governor, represented by the Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said every fire risk corrected before an incident is an opportunity to prevent injury, loss of life, and economic disruptions.
Hamzat also appealed to stakeholders to prioritise prevention, maintain operational readiness, and ensure that emergency responders have the
support they need.
Founder & Executive Vice Chairman, Baywood Group, Chris Baywood lbe, said that the critical conversation centred on how we prepare more effectively for emergencies, strengthen response systems and improve accountability to protect lives.
Also, President of the Ndigboamaka Progressive Markets Association, Chinedu Ukatu, who lamented the recent surge in market fires, said it is important to move away from condolence visits to fire prevention investment.
Ukatu, who linked most market fire accidents to electrical faults, appealed to the government to partner with the association to rewire some emerging markets and develop the wireless system in the markets.
