Fire razes section of Alaba International Market in Lagos

A section of the Alaba International Market in Lagos was engulfed by fire on Tuesday evening, leaving traders in panic as the flames tore through the furniture section of the market near the Ojo Local Government Secretariat in Ojo town.

Videos circulating on social media showed thick smoke and raging flames consuming several shops as traders watched helplessly from a distance. According to an X user, Ikechukwu Ude, who shared footage from the scene, the fire started from “a little spark” before rapidly spreading through nearby stalls.

Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were seen battling the blaze to prevent further damage. Confirming the incident, Shakiru Amodu, the Director of Public Affairs for the state fire service, told TheCable that the Ojo fire station responded promptly to the scene.

“I’m aware of the incident; the Ojo fire station dealt with the scene along Ijegun — it happened just yesterday,” Amodu said, adding that more details would be available later.

The Alaba International Market, located along the Lagos–Badagry expressway, is one of West Africa’s largest trading hubs for electronics, furniture, and building materials.

The fire comes amid a string of similar incidents across Lagos in recent months. In September, at least 10 people died in a fire at Afriland Towers, a six-storey commercial building on Broad Street, Lagos Island. Among the victims were six employees of United Capital Plc and four staff members of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Preliminary reports from that incident revealed that the fire began in the inverter room in the basement before spreading to the upper floors. Emergency services from both the Federal and State Fire Services rescued nine people, five of whom were revived at the scene.