Femi Da-silva, the Chief Executive Officer of HSENations, organisers of the African Safety Award for Excellence (AfriSAFE), has called for systemic reforms and accountability in the aftermath of the tragic Afriland Towers fire.
According to reports, the incident at the six-storey commerial building claimed 10 lives, including employees of United Capital and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Expressing his condolences to the families of the victims, Da-silva stressed that the tragedy reflects a systemic failure.
Da-silva said, “As we sympathise with the families, we must hold someone responsible for what has happened, no matter how highly placed.
“Fire management in high-rise buildings start right from the design stage. Was the building designed with safety in mind? Compartmentation helps keep fires contained, and the use of fire resistant building materials and fire-rated doors slows down the spread. What about the early warning and quick response system?
“We also need to look at the people managing the facility. It is a failure of multiple systems as just one failure should not have resulted in such a massive loss of lives. Without prejudice to the outcome of any investigations, I suspect there was an inadequate emergency evacuation plan in place and it is unlikely that fire drills were conducted regularly, leading to occupants being ignorant of what to do in this kind of instance. I would, however, not want to preempt the outcome of what I expect would be a robust investigation to get to the root cause of this tragedy.”
Da-silva reiterated that incidents like the Afriland Towers fire are preventable with proactive measures, including installation of advanced fire suppression systems, conducting mandatory evacuation drills, and ensuring compliance with international safety standards.
Da-silva, who also coordinates the Lagos International Lagos Fire Safety Conference, emphasised that the tragedy exposes the need for action beyond mere expressions of sympathy.
“As expected, prominent Nigerians have been releasing condolence messages in the wake of this tragedy but we must move beyond rhetoric and begin to collectively take concrete action,” he said.
The prominent safety advocate highlighted the role of technology and importance of staff training in preventing similar incidents.
He said, “At the 2025 Lagos fire conference, we had an expo for advanced fire surveillance and suppression systems that could have stopped this fire.”
Da-silva hailed the announcement of a nationwide Fire Safety Compliance Task Force by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, urging regulators to act with integrity and foresight.
He called for the launch of an independent probe into the cause of the fire and to hold accountable any parties found responsible for negligence.
Da-silva disclosed that advancing fire safety will be on the front burner when delegates from various African nations converge in Mombasa, Kenya, in November for the 2025 Africa Safety Conference and Awards (AfriSAFE).
“As Africa’s leading advocacy organisation for health, safety, and environmental excellence, HSENations stands ready to collaborate with stakeholders to drive these changes.
“We cannot afford to wait for another loss of life to spur action. The time for real reform is now,” Da-silva stressed.
