NEMA deploys Chinese giant CCECC for urgent demolition in Lagos fire rescue
Abdullateef Fowewe
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has swiftly mobilised the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to the fire-ravaged Great Nigeria Insurance House at Marina, Lagos Island, bolstering rescue and recovery efforts at the distressed 22-storey building.
In a statement released on Saturday, NEMA announced, “Lagos Fire Disaster: NEMA Mobilises CCECC to Support Rescue Operations at Great Nigeria Insurance Building.”
The move comes at the request of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who sought federal assistance “to enable the safe demolition of the distressed 22-storey structure, thereby creating access for excavation and recovery efforts at the disaster site.”
NEMA’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Usman Bature, and Lagos Operations Head, Tunde Mohammed personally led the CCECC technical team to the site for initial assessments and consultations with stakeholders.
CCECC has already positioned heavy-duty equipment nearby, conducting technical evaluations while awaiting final directives from authorities.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, on his second site visit on Friday, January 2, stressed the urgency, “Excavation activities cannot safely commence until the structurally compromised building is brought down in a controlled manner, in order to safeguard the lives of emergency responders and members of the public.”
NEMA affirmed its commitment to coordination, stating it “continues to work closely with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), fire services, security agencies and other emergency stakeholders to ensure a safe, well-coordinated and professional response operation.”
