Lagos: NEMA Conducts Safety Assessment At Great Niger House

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has conducted a multi-agency site assessment at the scene of the fire incident that gutted the Great Niger House building at Marina, Lagos Island, as rescue operations continue.

The agency made this known on Thursday via a post on its official X page.

According to NEMA, the Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Usman Bature, led responders from key stakeholder agencies to assess the extent of damage at the site and ensure the safety of personnel engaged in ongoing rescue operations.

The assessment came amid concerns over extensive structural damage to the building and the presence of debris scattered around the affected area.

Air Commodore Bature explained that the exercise was necessary to determine potential risks to responders and to establish the level of technical backup required to support the ongoing operations.

“Given the magnitude of the fire and the structural integrity of the building, ensuring the safety of responders is critical while we continue rescue efforts,” he said.

NEMA also disclosed that rescue operations were still ongoing, adding that the South West Zonal Director of the agency is currently in Lagos alongside the Director of Search and Rescue to reinforce the efforts of the Head of the Lagos Operations Office in coordinating response activities effectively.

Air Commodore Bature commended the Lagos State Government and all responding agencies for their swift intervention and professionalism, noting that the scale of the incident remains enormous and requires sustained collaboration and joint mobilisation of resources by relevant government institutions and private organisations.

He further urged members of the public to rely only on verified information from official sources and to avoid spreading unconfirmed reports about the incident.

The joint site assessment involved response teams from NEMA, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, as well as representatives of the media.

Meanwhile, NEMA confirmed that it has deployed a team from its Lagos office to support the ongoing rescue and response operation.