General
How to Prevent Fire Outbreaks in High-Risk Buildings—Eaton
By Adedapo Adesanya
A top power management company, Eaton, has provided some pointers that can help prevent fire outbreaks in high-risk buildings which have increased in the last year.
According to Kunmi Odunoku, Marketing Manager for Eaton in West Africa, demographic changes mean that “we are building larger, taller, and more complex buildings to live, work and spend our leisure time in.”
While it is true that fire safety has improved with the installation of devices such as smoke detectors and alarms, the impact of a fire is now potentially far more serious than it has ever been.
According to Odunoku, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to fire prevention, suppression or evacuation, a thorough risk assessment issued on a case-by-case basis will suggest appropriate measures to be taken.
“It is no longer good enough to hide behind regulations or standards, which should be seen as a minimum requirement. Building owners and developers should hold themselves to a higher standard of safety and do more to prevent a tragedy in high-risk buildings,” the senior company official said.
Incidents such as the recent fire outbreak under the Eko bridge reinforce how infernos can result in serious damage or worse – the loss of life. Such incidents often result in reputational damage for the organizations and individuals involved that may escalate to a clamour for those responsible to face charges of corporate liability or manslaughter in the case of loss of properties or lives.
Regardless of the reputational risk, it is surely the moral responsibility of building owners and operators to ensure that modern buildings housing hundreds or even thousands of people are safe for the occupants.
“One problem building occupants face is understanding who is responsible for their safety, and in this, there is a danger of simply avoiding the issue. So, to be clear I believe that building owners or operators must ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place.
“Simply adhering to standard building regulations is not a sufficient safety measure,” Odunoku stated.
In a recent study, FM Global found that 70 per cent of business owners feel that following building regulations will protect their property, as the organization points out “this is simply not their purpose”.
Such an approach takes no account of the different risks faced in different types of buildings or by different occupants. The only sensible approach to take is to conduct a thorough risk assessment of the building and then implement appropriate safeguards.
Changing the nature of risk
The nature of fire risks in buildings changes as our society changes. By 2050 the UN estimates that two-thirds of people will be urbanites living, working, and spending leisure time in buildings designed to hold hundreds if not thousands of people.
This means we will increasingly build upwards. There are already a staggering number of buildings in cities around the world that are over 100 meters tall. As buildings get taller the number of mixed-use buildings will also rise rapidly. Typically, in taller mixed-use buildings, the lower floors house shops and restaurants while the upper floors are reserved for residential purposes. This means that due to the nature of the use, lower floors are unoccupied and unsupervised in the middle of the night, while those people on higher floors could well be asleep should the worst happen.
Risk assessment
There is no single answer to mitigating the risks of a fire in a building and for high-risk buildings, the regulations are simply not enough. We advocate a three-step process to help ensure ongoing safety:
- Identify the specific risks in your building. You may decide to employ or engage experts to do the risk assessment.
- Select and design systems and solutions addressing the specific risks identified.
- Test and review these solutions regularly especially if there are changes to building use.
Having conducted a thorough risk assessment, you can then make an informed choice on what action to take. Breaking this down further you need to think about prevention, controlling a fire, detection, and how you will alert occupants and evacuate or guide people away from danger.
While education and technology can help prevent the worst from happening as The Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat observes: “The only true way to stop a fire from happening is to remove the humans and the combustible materials from buildings. You can apply good fire safety education and management, but, fires start, what happens next is what matters.”
Preventing a fire is about building design, such as compartmentation to help prevent or slow down the spread and also installing technology such as sprinkler systems. Sadly, too many developers and building owners dismiss sprinklers as not cost-effective and prefer to spend their money on air-conditioning or intelligent lighting systems.
Alerting and evacuating
If the fire does spread, there is generally a short window to alert and evacuate building occupants. This is made even more complicated if people are asleep or are disabled and are not aware of an alert or need assistance.
There is a lot of technology available to alert building occupants and instruct them or guide them to safety. The important thing is to be aware of such technology or employ someone who can advise you appropriately and above all not cut corners to save cost. While we hope that it never happens to us, a fire in a complex building could be catastrophic if you do not plan properly. It is time to take fire safety seriously so that people do not lose their homes, places of work or worse their lives. If you are a building owner, it is your moral duty to do all that you can.
Eaton has teamed up with several fire safety organizations from around the world to produce a whitepaper called “Fire Safety in High-Risk Buildings – preventing the next tragedy.” You can download it from Eaton’s website.
By Dipo Olowookere
The need for Africa to protect itself from many external shocks not of its making has again been emphasised by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
On the margins of the 58th session of the Economic Commission for Africa in Tangier, Morocco, the continent was tasked to strengthen regional integration, accelerate African-led financial solutions, and invest decisively in energy, food, and trade resilience so as to move from vulnerability to preparedness.
The meeting focused on the spikes in energy, food and fertiliser prices caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in February 2026, and since then, global oil prices have surged by more than 50 per cent as of late March. Twenty-nine currencies in Africa have weakened, raising the cost of servicing external debt and importing food, fuel, and fertiliser.
Disruptions linked to Gulf energy supplies limit access to ammonia and urea during the critical March–May planting season. This will affect agricultural production, compounding risks of crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity, especially for low‑income households and import‑dependent economies.
To address these issues, the quartet has asked African leaders to, in the short-term, stabilise fuel, food, and fertiliser supply, and execute medium‑term reforms to strengthen energy security, targeted social protection, and regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
They also tasked leaders to come up with long‑term structural reforms towards stronger domestic resource mobilisation and African financial safety nets, including accelerated implementation of the African Financing Stability Mechanism.
“Continued escalation of the conflict worsens global instability, with serious implications for energy markets, food security, and economic resilience, particularly in Africa, where economic pressures remain acute,” the chairperson of AUC, Mr Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, said.
Also commenting, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of UNECA, Mr Claver Gatete, said, “Africa has been hit by too many external shocks not of its making. Crises like this reinforce why Africa must finance more of its own future and strengthen regional solutions that build resilience before the next shock hits.”
On her part, the UN Assistant Secretary‑General and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa, submitted that, “With the right mix of policy choices, financing tools, and political resolve, Africa can weather this shock and emerge more resilient, more self-reliant, and better positioned to shape its own economic future.”
“As global crises multiply, Africa’s response must evolve from managing shocks to fostering resilience. African institutions and development partners need to act swiftly and in concert, leveraging their comparative advantages to cushion short-term shocks while laying the foundations for long-term resilience,” the president of AfDB, Mr Sidi Ould Tah, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, has issued a strong warning to heads of agencies under the ministry, demanding strict accountability and measurable results.
Mr Oyetola issued the warning during the signing of performance bonds with heads of maritime agencies at the Ministerial Management Retreat, held alongside the 2026 first-quarter stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos on Thursday, where he emphasised the need for performance-driven governance.
“Let me emphasise that all Departments and Agencies under the Ministry must remain firmly focused on delivering tangible results,” he said.
In a statement by Mr Bolaji Akinola, Special Adviser to the Minister, Mr Oyetola noted that performance bonds to be signed during the retreat are binding commitments that will be closely monitored and rigorously evaluated.
“These are not ceremonial documents. They are binding commitments. Accountability will not be optional,” the Minister declared.
Mr Oyetola reiterated the need for data-driven decision-making, robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and alignment with the Ministry’s strategic objectives.
“At the institutional level, we must remain disciplined and accountable. Every department and agency must deliver measurable outcomes,” he added.
He explained that the retreat was designed to foster alignment between policy formulation, implementation, and stakeholder expectations.
“The integration of this engagement enables us to listen, reflect, and recalibrate,” he said.
The agencies include the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Maritime Academy of Nigeria, and the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria.
He also announced a 160 per cent increase in revenue generated by agencies under the ministry, attributing the growth to sweeping reforms and a renewed focus on accountability.
“In 2023, our agencies generated N700.79 billion. By the end of 2025, this figure had risen to approximately N1.83 trillion. This remarkable achievement is the result of deliberate and sustained reforms,” he stated.
The Minister explained that the gains were driven by strengthened regulatory oversight, improved revenue assurance mechanisms, digitalisation of key processes, and a firm commitment to blocking leakages.
“This gathering reflects our commitment to a governance approach that is inclusive, transparent, and results-driven,” he added, noting that the convergence of stakeholders, policymakers, and institutional leaders was designed to align policy with implementation and public expectations.
Mr Oyetola linked the ministry’s improved performance to broader sectoral reforms, including port modernisation, approval for disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), and ongoing efforts to enhance indigenous participation in maritime activities.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, has explained why Mr Bola Tinubu addressed the victims of the Plateau attacks at the airport on Thursday evening.
The decision of President Tinubu to console victims of the attacks, which left over 20 persons dead, at the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Jos last night has continued to generate reactions.
He was criticised for not visiting the victims at the epicentre, Angwan Rukuba, instead of having them to travel to meet with him at the airport.
In a statement on Friday, Mr Onanuga said his principal’s itinerary for yesterday included two main engagements: receiving the Chadian President, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and proceeding to Iperu, Ogun State.
“After Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s briefing, President Tinubu suspended the trip to Ogun. Overnight, the Presidential Villa made arrangements for the visit to Jos, with presidential assets quickly deployed. However, the President could not postpone the scheduled visit by the Chadian leader.
“The President of Chad was at the Presidential Villa for a very important bilateral meeting focused on strengthening security collaboration between the two countries. The meeting ran longer than expected, affecting President Tinubu’s scheduled departure for Jos.
“Upon arrival in Jos, the visit encountered some logistical challenges. While the road distance from the airport to Jos township is approximately 40 minutes, the runway does not support night flights due to the absence of navigational aids. The constraints made it unfeasible to drive into town, meet victims for on-the-spot assessment and return to the airport before dusk.
“Consequently, state and federal officials decided to bring representatives of the affected community to a hall adjoining the airport so the President could meet with them promptly while adhering to flight restrictions. Among the people in the hall were the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police, who had visited Rukuba, the epicentre of the conflict. President Tinubu deployed the high-level team to Rukuba, including the Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, to undertake critical groundwork on security and community engagement, with a view to stabilising the area before his arrival.
“Beyond expressing his condolences to the victims, President Tinubu’s objective was to engage with critical stakeholders in Plateau State on ending the recurring, decades-old conflict that has resulted in needless loss of lives and property.
“President Tinubu’s visit to Jos was not merely symbolic. It was a strategic, high-level engagement aimed at bringing all stakeholders together to address the root causes of conflict and insecurity in the state.
“He interacted with the victims, consoled them, and listened to them. He also listened to local leaders and assured them that the federal government would deliver justice and end the cycle of violence. He promised the deployment of 5000 AI-enabled cameras to monitor the city and enhance the identification and arrest of troublemakers.
“Furthermore, the President invited the community leaders to Abuja for further talks on finding a lasting solution to the recurring violence in the state.
“The meeting, televised live, was solemn and reassuring, boosting residents’ confidence. President Tinubu achieved the purpose of his visit, despite the naysayers’ attempts to ridicule it. He dropped an unmistakable message: sustainable peace must be built with the people, not imposed on them,” the presidency explained.
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