NLC Blames Systemic Negligence for Lagos Fire Disasters, Demands Accountability

By Chinedu Echianu

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and property in recent fire outbreaks on Lagos Island, including the tragic inferno at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Afriland Building, which claimed at least six lives and left many injured.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, Acting NLC President, Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju, said the incidents were not accidents of fate but consequences of “systemic rot, institutional negligence, and reckless disregard for safety rules.”

The labour union condemned what it described as the prioritization of corporate profits and government revenue over the safety and dignity of workers and citizens. It decried reports of workers forced to jump from high-rise windows to escape the UBA fire, questioning the adequacy of safety measures, crisis management protocols, and emergency preparedness in the building.

“These tragedies are not just about fire; they reflect corruption, inefficiency, collapsed institutions, and the state’s abandonment of its fundamental duty to protect lives and property,” the statement read.

The NLC also linked the latest fire to a broader pattern of recurring market infernos on Lagos Island, which destroy goods worth billions of naira and wipe out the livelihoods of struggling citizens. It accused both the federal and Lagos State governments of failing to learn from past disasters or to provide effective fire prevention and emergency response infrastructure.

The Congress called for urgent measures to prevent future tragedies, including:

1. An independent investigation into the UBA fire and the Lagos Island market inferno, with public disclosure of findings and prosecution of those found culpable.

2. Strengthening of fire services and emergency response agencies with modern equipment, trained personnel, and transparent funding.

3. Strict enforcement of workplace and public safety standards in commercial and corporate buildings, with penalties for violations

4. Adequate compensation and medical support for victims, their families, and traders who lost their means of livelihood.

5. A shift from profit-driven governance to a human-centered model that prioritizes the safety and welfare of citizens.

Adeyanju warned against treating the victims as mere statistics, insisting that the deaths, destruction, and grief must serve as a call to action.

“No worker should leave home in the morning and end up in the morgue because of preventable disasters. No trader should watch their sweat and blood go up in flames because safety and governance have been reduced to business ventures,” he said.

While commending the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for issuing alerts on impending floods in some parts of the country, the NLC stressed the need for proactive evacuations and long-term solutions to recurring flood disasters, particularly those caused by water releases from Cameroonian dams.

The NLC concluded by urging Nigerians—workers, traders, artisans, professionals, students, and the unemployed—to unite in rejecting what it called a “culture of death” and demand a governance system that safeguards lives and property.