By Aderonke Ojediran
Lagos, Dec. 26, 2025
In a decisive move to avert a potential secondary disaster, the Lagos State Government has issued an immediate evacuation order for residents and business operators surrounding the fire-ravaged Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building on Martins Street, Lagos Island. This directive follows urgent warnings from structural engineers who assessed the 25-storey high-rise after it was gutted by fire on December 24th.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed the order in an official statement, framing it as a direct instruction from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu where public safety “must always take precedence over commercial interests.” The core of the concern lies not just with the burnt building itself, but with the structural domino effect a collapse could trigger in one of Lagos’s most densely populated commercial districts.
Why a 100-Metre Radius? Understanding the Expert Evaluation
The commissioner revealed that experts have warned of serious risk to structures within a 100-metre radius. This is not an arbitrary distance. In structural engineering, a fire of this magnitude compromises steel reinforcements (rebar) through extreme heat, causing them to expand and lose tensile strength. Concrete also spalls (explodes) under high temperatures. The combined effect can lead to a sudden, catastrophic failure. The designated cordon accounts for the potential “fall zone” of debris, the impact of shockwaves from a collapse, and the risk to adjacent buildings whose foundations or shared walls may have been weakened.
“Based on expert evaluation, several buildings around the scene have been compromised and must be evacuated immediately,” Omotoso stated, adding that the integrity of the burnt GNI building “could no longer be guaranteed.”
A Grave and Persistent Danger: Violations of the Safety Cordon
A critical, and alarming, sub-narrative in the government’s statement is the reported violation of the safety cordon. “We have observed shop owners breaking into the restricted zone. This is extremely dangerous and must stop forthwith,” Omotoso warned. This highlights a common and deadly conflict in disaster management: the tension between immediate economic survival and long-term physical survival. Shop owners, facing significant inventory loss, often risk their lives to salvage goods, underestimating the invisible structural instability.
The commissioner stressed that continued human and commercial activities around the site “posed grave danger” and that the government would enforce the order with emergency and security officials if necessary.
Broader Context: Lagos Island and Recurring Building Safety Crises
This incident is not isolated. Lagos Island, with its many aging high-rises, intricate network of streets, and often substandard maintenance practices, has been the scene of several building collapses and major fires. The GNI fire and its aftermath expose the chronic vulnerabilities of urban infrastructure in rapidly growing megacities. It raises urgent questions about fire safety compliance, the structural health of aging commercial towers, and the efficacy of emergency response and post-disaster protocols in congested urban cores.
While the cause of the December 24th fire remains undetermined, the state’s proactive evacuation order represents a shift towards prioritizing preventive risk mitigation. The government’s firm stance signals an understanding that the period following a major structural fire is often the most perilous, requiring disciplined enforcement to prevent a tragedy from compounding.
The coming days will test the balance between enforcement and cooperation, as the area remains sealed for further expert assessment and the daunting decisions regarding demolition or possible remediation begin.
(Source: NAN News)
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Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo
