Lagos State government through the Safety Commission and Fire and Rescue Service have flagged off a public enlightenment campaign on fire prevention in market places across the state.
The advocacy campaign according to the government is to forestall fire incidents in the market places during the current harmattan season and as residents prepare to celebrate the end of the year.
Director General Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola while speaking after the flag off in Jankara market, Lagos Island, emphasised the need for traders in the market to be safety conscious and be mindful of their environment to prevent fire disaster.
Mojola who acknowledged that most markets in the state are complying with the state government directives on safety said that the enlightenment must continue to reduce the incidents to the bearest minimum.
He said “Today’s enlightenment campaign is about fire safety and you are all aware that the harmattan season has come and harmattan comes with extra risks when it comes to fire. it is very dry and there is higher chance that we would have fire.
“So the message is that they should be careful when carrying out their activities. Carelessness is a big issue, because carelessness and human errors are the main causes of the fire incidents.”
Mojola maintained that besides, the campaign teams are talking to traders on the importance of keeping safe and for them to adhere to all the safety rules and do away with all the highlighted activities that can trigger hazards in the markets such as smoking, use of cooking stoves and selling of petrol in the markets.
According to him “We identified that there are people that are still selling petroleum products in the markets and we are using this public enlightenment to actually work with the market leaders to ensure we remove these inflammable items and beyond that, we are also reaching out directly to the fire safety marshalls to take them through how to put out the fire, should the fire occur as well as train them with the use of fire extinguishers and on the need to have fire detectors in their shops, in the event that fire happens, they put it out before it becomes a big incident.”
The Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Margaret Adeseye said the enlightenment campaign is about educating the general public particularly the traders in the markets to understand the market fire safety tips.
Adeseye mentioned that in the past years, the state recorded a large number of fire incidents in the market places, stressing that, 75 percent of the fire outbreak was as a result of carelessness and that prompted the move to sensitise traders towards preventing loss of lives and property through avoidable fire incidents.
She said “What happened in April this year where over 20 houses were burnt was as a result of carelessness and from April till now, the fire incidents in markets is at 0.1 percent compare to what we used to have, so there is a level of compliance but the government want 100 percent compliance. We want a safe Lagos and a state free of fire incident and that is why we are out here to remind them that sleeping in the markets is not allowed, use of camp gas for cooking, overloading electric sockets should be discouraged while markets must ensure they discuss fire safety awareness during market meetings.”
The Chairman Wrist Watch Sellers Association, Jankara Market, Mr. Abdul Rahman Yusuf, appreciated the state government through the Safety Commission and Fire Service for consistently bringing the advocacy campaigns to the market towards prevention of fire incidents.
Yusuf expressed strong support for government policies aimed at preventing fire in the market places while reassuring that traders in the markets will continue to comply with all the safety preventive measures at all time
Aside from Jankara market, the advocacy team will also visit Balogun, Dosunmu Ereko, Saabo, Mile 12 markets. Others are Ojuwoye, Tejuosho, Boundary Alaba International, Iyana Iba and Okokomaiko markets.
