Nigeria Records 1,000 Fire Deaths, 7,000 Fire Accidents Annually

A disaster management expert, has put the annual fire outbreaks in Nigeria at about 7,000 with resultant deaths of over 1,000 persons.

?The expert, Prof. Edwin Iguisi, made the disclosure at a public awareness lecture on Fire Disasters for Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria Community on Wednesday.

?Iguisi, who is Director, Disaster Management Centre and Development, ABU, stressed the need to raise public awareness on fire.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the centre in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

“These fires occur in houses, markets, shops and factories among other places. The primary purpose of this workshop is to raise public awareness/knowledge about the dangers of fire accidents.”

Alhaji Sani Sidi, NEMA Director-General, said the agency was partnering with six Nigerian universities with a view to ensuring effective and efficient disaster management.

Represented by Dr Mohammed Zanna, Director, Finance and Administration, Sidi said: “NEMA has a centre in six different Nigerian universities, one in each geo-political zone.

“In each of these centres, we have established a disaster management and developmental studies.

“These centres include ABU, North West; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, South East; ?University of Ibadan, South West; University of Port Harcourt, ?South South; ?and University of Maiduguri, North East.”

?The Vice Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, observed that Nigerians were yet to appreciate disaster management.

Mustapha said that lack of facilities and manpower were affecting the efforts of combating fire outbreaks in the country. (NAN)