09 June 2013, Lagos – In a rare collaboration, Shell Nigeria Exploration Company, SNEPCo, and Lagos Island Millenium Group on the Environment, LIMGE, have entered a partnership to tackle th emenace of fire disasters in Lagos.
The partnership has resulted in the launch of Ajele Fire Station in the heart of Lagos Island.
Speaking at the soft launch, Chief Taiwo Taiwo, the president of LIMGE, said the initiative was to make sure “that no building on Lagos Island is ever gutted by fire again”. Taiwo added: “This was one of our clear mandates from inception because we are aware of the fact that the Lagos Island area is densely populated with close clusters and has always been prone to fire incidents even from colonial times.
”What LIMGE is doing is showing an example of private public partnership for others to see and get involved in their communities so we can build a better Lagos and Nigeria.”
According to her, the project, which will be officially commissioned in June, boasts of a gym, recreational room, communication equipment, training facilities, four state-of-the-art fire fighting motorbikes, brand new fire fighting kits and top quality modern fire fighting. The LIMGE boss explained that 100 specially selected firemen have attended a comprehensive and extensive two weeks training facilitated by a fire chief from the New Jersey Fire Department.
“Our new target is to make a-state-of-art fully equipped and functional fire station dedicated to business district and accessible 24hrs and well trained fully kitted firemen to be ready at all hours”.
Chike Onyejekwe, Managing Director of SNECo told the guests his company was partnering with LIMGE because the Ajele Fire Station,” is ill equipped to handle fires and emergencies effectively with consequential impact on offices located in the vicinity. As such, we have decided that SNEPCo sponsor activities aimed at increasing the operational readiness of the fire station.”
Onyejekwe said the effort was not actually rebuilding the fire station but upgrading it to a standard that would met the central business district’s requirement in fire fighting.
He noted that SNECo was not doing it because its office was close by but to help Lagos State, and it’s part of its CSR to the community.
In her closing remarks, Mrs Mosun Emeruwa, MD of MOE Architects, expressed gratitude to Lanre Ogunlesi, MD of Sophisticat, First Bank, Union Bank, Christ Church and SNEPCo whose without help they we wouldn’t have made any meaningful progress.
*Adeola Adenuga, Vanguard.
