Williams Kayode
A massive fire on Tuesday engulfed part of Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial building that houses a branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and other corporate offices, sending shockwaves through Lagos Island’s busy Marina business district.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing thick plumes of smoke billowing from the high-rise as workers and visitors scrambled for safety. Viral videos circulating on social media showed chaotic scenes of people attempting to jump from upper floors, while others were pulled to safety with the aid of ladders by passersby and residents.
The panic drew a large crowd to Broad Street, where many onlookers watched helplessly as the inferno spread across multiple levels of the building.
Confirming the incident, Deputy Controller General Ogabi Olajide of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said emergency responders were quickly deployed from the Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu Fire Stations after receiving a distress call at about 1:38 p.m.
“A fire outbreak is currently being battled at a six-storey building on Afriland Towers, Broad Street, Lagos Island. The fire started in the inverter room in the basement before spreading through the building,” the statement read.
Olajide added that the blaze sparked widespread panic before firefighters arrived but assured that evacuation was ongoing and operations to extinguish the flames had been largely successful by late afternoon.
While no casualties had been officially confirmed as of press time, emergency officials stressed that rescue operations were still underway.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though preliminary reports indicate it began in the inverter room before smoke and heat quickly spread across several floors.
The Afriland Towers blaze is the latest in a series of fire outbreaks in commercial hubs across Nigeria in recent months, raising renewed concerns about workplace safety standards, building maintenance, and emergency preparedness in high-density business areas.