Great Nigeria House fire victims appeal to Lagos governor for relief 10 months on
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Victims of the December 2025 fire that gutted the Great Nigeria House at Balogun Market on Lagos Island say they have received no state support 10 months on and are asking Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for relief funds, business support and help for bereaved families.
Victims of the fire that gutted the Great Nigeria House on Lagos Island, and the families of those who died, have appealed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for help, saying life has become unbearable almost 10 months after the tragedy.
The fire broke out at about 4:40pm on December 24, 2025 in the heart of Balogun Market on Lagos Island. Emergency teams from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Federal Fire Service arrived at the scene but were reportedly hampered by water scarcity, allowing the fire to burn for several days.
Initial reports indicated that no lives were lost, but after days of search-and-rescue operations it was confirmed that several people had died, while others sustained critical burns or suffered smoke inhalation. Importers, retailers and online vendors who had stocked their shops ahead of post-Christmas sales reportedly lost their investments.
Engineers from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) later declared the building structurally compromised beyond repair and ordered its total demolition, with a 100-metre hazard radius cordoned off. Days after the incident, the governor visited Martins Street to assess the situation.
Victims said that visit marked the last major government attention they received. "It is almost one year now and we have not received any help. Our children are out of school, we have no capital to start again, and families of those who died are suffering," said Martin, who lost his shop and his brother in the fire. Another trader said victims of a fire at Dosunmu Market were compensated by the government and asked why they had been forgotten.
The victims said they were seeking relief funds, business support and assistance for the families of those who lost their lives, and urged the governor to intervene urgently. As of press time there was no official statement from the Lagos State Government on compensation or rehabilitation for victims of the Great Nigeria House fire.