Prosper Okoye
A large fire tore through parts of the Amuwo Odofin Industrial Estate in Lagos on Saturday night, destroying multiple buildings and disrupting traffic along one of the city’s busiest transport corridors, as residents and eyewitnesses questioned the speed and scale of the emergency response.
The blaze broke out at about 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) at Alkem Nigeria Limited, an industrial recycling firm involved in PET bottle recycling and polyester fibre production. The company is known for its “waste-to-wealth” operations and is located close to the Mile 2 Bus Stop, a major transit hub linking Oshodi, Apapa and other parts of the city.
Within minutes, thick plumes of black smoke were seen rising into the night sky, while flames engulfed industrial structures and spread rapidly to neighbouring buildings. Videos shared on social media showed fire sweeping through facilities behind the Alaba Train Station and in areas close to the Lacasera beverage factory, prompting fears that the inferno could reach nearby fuel stations.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelEyewitnesses described scenes of panic and confusion as workers, residents and commuters fled the area. Traffic along the Oshodi–Apapa Expressway slowed to a crawl, with motorists abandoning vehicles amid concerns about possible explosions.
One resident, posting online shortly after the fire began, said there was “no sign of firefighters” as the flames intensified, while another warned that the fire was dangerously close to a petrol station along the Mile 2 axis. Several people reported calling emergency lines repeatedly without success in the early stages of the incident.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later confirmed that it had deployed personnel to the scene and said efforts were under way to contain the blaze. In a statement issued just before 20:30, the agency assured the public that firefighters were “on top of the situation”.
However, those assurances were met with scepticism by witnesses on the ground. Several people reported that only about four fire trucks were initially deployed, which they described as inadequate given the scale of the fire and the highly flammable materials stored in the area. As the night wore on, videos showed the flames spreading from one structure to another.
“You are not on top of any situation,” one social media user wrote in response to the fire service’s update. “That fire has escalated to the next building.”
Others claimed that multiple fire service units arrived at different points but left without fully extinguishing the blaze. By around 22:00 local time, the fire was still burning intensely, with fresh footage showing entire buildings engulfed and roofs collapsing.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said its officers were deployed to manage traffic and maintain safety around the affected area. In an update, the agency confirmed that a building at Alaba Suru, just after Eleganza heading towards Mile 2, was on fire, adding that emergency services had been contacted and traffic diversions put in place.
Despite the scale of the destruction, no deaths or injuries had been officially confirmed as of 22:02 local time.
Emergency officials said they were continuing efforts to prevent the fire from spreading further, particularly towards nearby fuel facilities, which could have led to a much larger disaster.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established. The industrial nature of the area, which houses recycling plants, factories and warehouses, has renewed concerns about fire safety standards, emergency preparedness and access to functioning firefighting equipment in Lagos’ commercial zones.
Local media outlets confirmed the outbreak at the Amuwo Odofin Industrial Estate, while multiple social media users described the destruction as running into millions of dollars, with entire businesses reduced to ashes.
The incident adds to a growing list of major fire outbreaks in Lagos. In 2025 alone, fires in industrial and commercial areas across the state were estimated to have caused damages worth about ₦19.72bn, according to official figures, highlighting persistent vulnerabilities in safety enforcement and emergency response.
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As firefighters continued battling the Mile 2 blaze late into the night, residents and business owners expressed frustration and fear, calling for stronger fire prevention measures and a more robust emergency response system in Africa’s largest city.
Authorities say further updates will be provided as the situation develops and investigations into the cause of the fire begin.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
