Analysis of the Recap of the National Fire Safety Code of Nigeria and the Effects on Public Buildings
Odaudu Ugbede Sunday
Department of Architecture
Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Nigeria
Email: arcodauduugbede@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The Fire Code is a regulation made under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, consisting of a set of minimum requirements respecting fire safety within and around existing buildings and facilities. The importance of public buildings in Nigeria cannot be over emphasis. For example, public buildings are major sources of livelihoods for many people. A contextual review of public buildings in Nigeria is therefore important; in order to appreciate the need for improved National Fire Safety Code in Nigeria. National Fire Safety Code of Nigeria was overviewed with the aim of being informed of the need to generate improved National Fire Safety Code that can efficiently reduce fire outbreaks in public buildings and thereby reduce the rate of socioeconomic lost as well as mitigating the release of harmful smoke to the environment. Evaluating the importance of public buildings to people, and the socioeconomic lost in Nigeria as a result of fire outbreaks in public buildings, as well as the negative effects of the harmful smoke that are being release to the environment are the objectives. The findings showed that, the adopted National Fire Safety Code of Nigeria focuses on active fire protection measures without emphasising on the passive fire prevention and protection measures. It also showed that, smoke from fire outbreaks in Nigerian commercial buildings is one of the causes of eye diseases, respiratory diseases, lung cancer and skin cancer, and it has also contributed to acid rain and global warming. It is expected that, this study shall reduce the socioeconomic lost in Nigeria as well as mitigating the release of harmful smoke to the environment and lay a foundation for further studying of fire outbreaks in public buildings in Nigeria. Thus, it is recommended that, improved National Fire Safety Code is generated by Nigeria, putting Nigerian culture, pattern of building designs and immediate circumstances into consideration.
Keywords: Public Buildings, Fire Code, Nigeria, Smoke, Socioeconomic Lost.
