By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government has revealed that properties estimated at a staggering N19.52 billion were lost to fire outbreaks across the state in the past one year.
This underscores the urgent need for improved fire safety practices and stronger public vigilance.
This disclosure was made by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Olugbenga Oyerinde, during the 2025 Annual Ministerial Press Briefing held on Wednesday, May 21, at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.
According to the Commissioner, “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service responded to a total of 1,952 emergency fire-related calls in the year under review, with 578 of these unfortunately turning out to be false alarms.”
These hoax calls, he noted, not only diverted crucial resources but also endangered lives by delaying real emergency response efforts.
Oyerinde said, “Despite our best efforts, the state recorded an estimated N19.52 billion worth of properties lost to various fire incidents across Lagos.
“However, it is also worth noting that we successfully saved properties worth over N117.12 billion from destruction and rescued 450 individuals alive.”
Providing further insight, the Commissioner revealed that 19 people were, however, recovered dead from fire disaster scenes within the same period, a statistic he described as “painful but a stark reminder of the risks and realities our emergency teams face daily.”
He stated that the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had intensified its fire prevention campaign.
“We conducted inspections on 7,870 facilities and issued 7,039 fire safety certificates to establishments including hotels, schools, filling stations, hospitals, and industrial facilities,” Oyerinde noted.
In its effort to promote fire safety awareness, he said the agency carried out 450 public enlightenment activities, ranging from media engagements to school safety education programmes.
While acknowledging the efforts of the frontline responders, Oyerinde admitted that the service faced serious challenges.
“The rise in prank calls and attacks on firemen by hoodlums during operations remain a serious concern. We are working closely with security agencies and lawmakers to ensure offenders are prosecuted.”
He added that although the agency currently has 932 uniformed fire personnel and 30 non-uniformed staff, no new recruitment was made in 2024.
To motivate existing staff, the commissioner disclosed that the government increased allowances and commissioned two new fire stations during the year.
The Lagos State Government said it remained committed to investing in fire service infrastructure, training, and community education to reduce preventable losses and enhance emergency response capacity across the state.
