In the Early hours of Tuesday morning, January 20, 2026, a fire ripped through a one-story building in Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos. The building was full of computer dealers on Somoye Osundairo Street. Sadly, the fire destroyed millions of naira worth of goods.
The fire started around 1:55 a.m. Firefighters from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) got there by 2:15 a.m., but the place was already burning out of control because of all the electronics inside.
According to Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu from LASEMA, thankfully, no one died. One firefighter had some small injuries but was treated right there. The fire spread fast, causing serious damage and destroying pretty much everything, like computers and accessories. They’re still trying to figure out what started it.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. Recently, Lagos has had a bunch of big fires in shops and market areas, which is making people worry about fire safety.
Arena Market, Oshodi. In late December 2025, a fire burned down about 10 clothing shops, even though the fire department got there quickly.
Balogun Market, Lagos Island: On Christmas Eve 2025, a huge fire broke out at the Great Nigeria House in the market. It caused a lot of damage and sent smoke everywhere when folks were doing their holiday shopping.
Ladipo Market, Mushin: Back in February 2025, a fire in the middle of the night wiped out a warehouse and a bunch of shops. People think it was probably an electrical issue.
All these fires show that there’s a real problem with fires in Lagos markets, especially when things get busy around the holidays. The shop owners don’t just lose money; they lose their jobs, things get harder to get, and families struggle even more.
Since the Computer Village fire happened so soon after the market fires, it seems like Lagos needs to get serious about preventing fires, making rules, and fixing things.
The Lagos State Government and emergency teams should:
* Check all the big markets and shopping areas for fire safety.
* Make sure everyone follows building rules, electrical codes, and has emergency plans.
* Get better firefighting tools and train the firefighters.
* Teach shop owners how to stay safe and be ready for a fire.
* Make sure buildings are not too close to each other, so that fire does not spread quickly.
If they don’t do something soon, Lagos might keep having these fires. People deserve to feel safe, and the government needs to make sure that future fires do not happen.
