The African Policy and Research Consortium (APRC), a continental alliance of distinguished assume tanks, analysis establishments, diaspora analysis facilities, and coverage leaders devoted to shaping evidence-based governance, sustainable improvement, and social fairness, mourns with profound sorrow the tragic fireplace that engulfed Afriland Towers on Lagos Island. This devastating incident, which claimed the lives of ten cherished people, together with staff of Heirs Holdings and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), is a poignant reminder of the fragility of human life and the pressing must safeguard public areas. Beyond institutional and structural issues, this tragedy underscores the irreplaceable worth of human contribution, the connections we forge, and the hopes we nurture. In this second of grief, the APRC reaffirms its dedication to advancing insurance policies that prioritize human dignity, security, and resilience, guaranteeing that the promise of Africa’s future is rarely dimmed by preventable loss.
We stand in heartfelt solidarity with the households, colleagues, and communities now bearing the immense weight of grief. The people we mourn had been way over professionals at their desks; they had been moms and dads, daughters and sons, mentors and mates whose ability, dedication, and spirit enlivened the establishments they served. Their absence leaves a void that no ceremony or memorial can ever fill, but their legacies endure, etched within the collective reminiscence of Nigeria’s civic and {economic} neighborhood. This tragedy compels us not solely to replicate however to behave, to make sure that measures are put in place to guard lives, fortify security protocols, and domesticate a tradition the place human life is honored as probably the most treasured useful resource.
This tragedy at Afriland Towers painfully echoes comparable incidents throughout Africa: the 2019 fireplace at Onitsha’s Ochanja Market that ravaged lives and livelihoods, the Twin Tower blaze in Nairobi (2018) that uncovered infrastructure fragility, and the 1994 Asafo Market inferno in Kumasi, which stays etched in Ghana’s historical past. Each of those catastrophes revealed recurring gaps in emergency response, fireplace prevention infrastructure, and occupational security requirements. The Afriland Towers catastrophe is due to this fact not an remoted occasion, it’s one other alarm bell demanding systemic reform.
We commend the braveness of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, first responders, and odd residents who braved chaos and smoke to save lots of lives. Yet we should be candid: Africa can not proceed to mourn preventable deaths from infrastructure fires. The fast unfold of smoke from the basement inverter room to a number of flooring underscores each the vulnerability of high-rise buildings and the insufficiency of present security protocols.
We due to this fact name upon governments at each degree – federal, state, and municipal to:
1. Strengthen emergency response infrastructure, guaranteeing that fireplace stations, hydrants, and security gear are strategically positioned, totally purposeful, and correctly maintained.
2. Mandate rigorous compliance with occupational and constructing security codes, notably in business high-rises the place 1000’s of lives are at stake day by day.
3. Invest in coaching and drills in order that staff, guests, and first responders are adequately ready for disaster eventualities.
4. Create collaborative frameworks with the personal sector, the place establishments like Heirs Holdings and UBA can co-lead in setting exemplary security requirements throughout the continent.
Afriland Towers was greater than a constructing; it was a hub of enterprise, an emblem of contemporary Nigeria, and a testomony to the probabilities of African-led improvement. That it has change into the location of such grief should awaken in us a collective resolve: by no means once more ought to avoidable tragedy diminish the worth of African lives.
Once once more, on behalf of the African Policy and Research Consortium, we stand in solidarity with all affected households and establishments. We honor the reminiscence of those that perished, and we commit ourselves to advancing insurance policies that place human security, dignity, and life on the very middle of Africa’s improvement agenda.
May the departed relaxation in peace, and will their sacrifice change into the seed of reforms that safeguard future generations.
Signed,
Professor Steve Azaiki, OON
Chief Executive Coordinator
African Policy and Research Consortium
