President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have commiserated with families who lost loved ones in Tuesday’s fire at Afriland Tower on Broad Street, Lagos Island.
The fire, which started in the building’s inverter room, has claimed at least 10 lives, including staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and United Capital Plc, while several others remain hospitalised.
Tinubu, in a statement, prayed for the recovery of the injured and praised emergency teams for their quick response, urging greater safety measures to prevent future tragedies.
Sanwo-Olu also described the incident as “a painful loss” and promised government support to affected families and organisations.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for an independent investigation into the incident and recurring market fires in Lagos.
Acting President of the NLC, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, said the blaze exposed institutional negligence and lack of safety compliance.
“These fires are not accidents of fate. They are the result of systemic rot and disregard for safety rules, leaving citizens exposed to needless deaths and losses,” he said.
The union demanded compensation for victims, stricter enforcement of safety standards, and improved funding for emergency services.
In response, the Federal Fire Service (FFS) announced plans for a nationwide fire safety audit of public and private buildings.
Controller General Samuel Olumode said inspectors would review safety systems, enforce compliance, and sanction defaulters.
Olumode also confirmed that investigators had been deployed to determine the direct and remote causes of the Lagos inferno, stressing that findings would be made public.
The FFS further urged organisations to strengthen fire precautions, including securing power rooms, maintaining alarms and extinguishers, and training staff on emergency drills.