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Iincidents: Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division Nigerian Army, reports that in 2022, there were 2,056 fire incidents in Nigeria, resulting in a loss of more than N1 trillion property.
Mr. Lagbaja provided the numbers on Thursday at a seminar on fire prevention and management held at Headquarters 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna.
According to the GOC, household fires were responsible for more than 41% of fire incidents in Ghana, a neighboring country.
He clarified that the seminar was a planned program for the Army to educate the barracks residents on fire prevention each year.
He claims that a number of factors, including population expansion, unreliable electricity, negligence, and erroneous electrical connections, have contributed to an increase in fire instances.
According to Mr. Lagbaja, the Nigerian Army was also affected by fire incidents that destroyed its property and put the lives of its servicemen and their families in barracks and cantonments in jeopardy.
The GOC also noted that fire events had resulted in the loss of vital operational assets, which had an impact on unit morale and operational effectiveness.
“On January 24, 2021, a fire that spread throughout 15 blocks of the Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria broke out. In the Division’s Area of Responsibility, numerous officers’ and soldiers’ quarters as well as vital military equipment within barracks, cantonments, and military buildings were recently damaged by fire.
Thus, he stated that it was crucial to maintain fire incident prevention and management awareness in all military barracks.
According to the GOC, the division undertook fire prevention and management awareness campaigns and established committees in each formation and unit to spearhead the campaign.
Mr. Lagbaja praised the Directorate of Army Logistics for organizing the seminar and urged the attendees to take advantage of the opportunity for the good of all.
The Federal Road Safety Corps, the federal and state fire services, and the Nigerian Army provided the experts.
To raise awareness and develop skills in fire prevention and control, flyers were handed out and static displays were created during the session.
