As harmattan season approaches, the Lagos State government has launched a public awareness campaign aimed at preventing fire outbreaks in markets across the state.
The initiative, led by the Lagos State Safety Commission in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service seeks to curb fire risks during the dry season and the festive end-of-year period.
Speaking at the campaign’s launch at Jankara Market on Lagos Island, the Director General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, emphasized the importance of safety consciousness among traders.
“This harmattan season brings heightened fire risks due to dryness. Our focus is on preventing fire incidents by educating traders on safety measures and reducing carelessness, which is a leading cause of fires,” Mojola stated.
Echoing Mojola’s sentiments, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, highlighted the significant progress made in reducing fire incidents in markets.
“Since April, when over 20 houses were destroyed in a fire caused by carelessness, market fire incidents have dropped to 0.1%, compared to previous years. While this shows improvement, our goal remains 100% compliance”, Adeseye explained.
She urged traders to avoid high-risk practices such as, Sleeping in markets, Using camp gas for cooking, Overloading electrical sockets.
Adeseye also called for fire safety discussions to be included in market meetings to ensure continuous awareness and compliance.
“We want a Lagos that is safe and free of fire disasters,” she said.
The awareness campaign will extend beyond Jankara Market to include other major markets such as Balogun, Dosunmu Ereko, Mile 12, Ojuwoye, Tejuosho, Boundary Alaba International, and Okokomaiko.
Chairman of the Wristwatches Sellers Association at Jankara Market, Abdul Yusuf, expressed appreciation for the government’s commitment to fire safety.
