Nigerians have been urged to avoid overloading electrical sockets and to adopt fire safety measures in every building to reduce the risk of fire outbreaks.
Safety and Security Consultant, Dr. Timi Ajayi, gave the advice while featuring on the Is Lagos Working segment of the breakfast show This Morning.
Dr. Ajayi criticized the tendency of state governments to focus on reactive rather than preventive measures, stressing the need for strict enforcement of safety standards, particularly in high-rise buildings.
He also emphasized the importance of sustained awareness campaigns by both the media and government.
For individuals caught in a fire, he advised squatting and covering the nose and mouth to reduce smoke inhalation.
“There must be local emergency teams in all high-rise buildings in Lagos to combat disaster while waiting for government responders,” Dr. Ajayi said.
“The state government must also conduct safety audits of buildings and tag vulnerable structures for enforcement. Safety should not always be reactive, it must be proactive.”
He further appealed to the Lagos State Government to conduct vulnerability tests on buildings across the metropolis and to engage safety professionals in disaster management.
Reporting by Yemisi Dada