Market Tragedy and Sustainability of Small Businesses in Lagos State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijarbm.657Keywords:
Economic Development, Market Disaster, Safety, Sustainability, Small BusinessAbstract
The study examines the impact of recurring market tragedies, fire outbreaks, and building collapses on the sustainability of small businesses in Lagos, Nigeria. The study employs a qualitative research methodology grounded in Contingency Theory. Secondary data sources, including scholarly literature, media reports, and government documents, are analysed comprehensively. The study illustrates the complex challenges faced by small enterprises operating within global urban ecosystems through a series of case studies drawn from local and international media coverage. It was found that the high frequency and widespread impact of fire incidents and related disasters significantly disrupt business continuity, resulting in substantial financial losses, which signals a pattern of repeated shocks to market-dependent livelihoods and long-term economic instability for small-scale entrepreneurs. Evaluating these critical issues, this research contributes to the discourse on urban-market challenges and small business sustainability in developing economies, thereby deepening economic vulnerability and providing social safety nets for affected traders. The analysis uncovers deficiencies in urban planning, lax enforcement of building regulations, and inadequate emergency response mechanisms as critical factors contributing to these market tragedies. Severe environmental consequences, including air and water pollution, soil contamination, and the release of toxic substances, are identified. These consequences increase health risks and ecological damage in affected areas. The study recommends enhancing infrastructure resilience, enforcing stricter building codes, and improving disaster preparedness, particularly for the focus city of Lagos, Nigeria.
References
Abunyewah, M., Okyere, S.A., Frimpong, L.K., Diko, S.K., Erdiaw‐Kwasie, M.O. and Boateng, V., (2023). Fire risk communication in the urban informal sector: Evidence from traditional marketplaces in Accra, Ghana. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 14(4), pp.297–320.
Adekoya, A. (2023). Property tax, taxpayers’ voices and tax compliance in local governments: A case study of land use charge in Lagos State, Nigeria. International Journal of Emerging Trends in Social Sciences, 14(1), 12–27. https://doi.org/10.55217/103.v14i1.605
Ahram Online. (2022). 41 dead, 14 injured in church fire during mass in Giza due to an electrical malfunction. https://www.ahram.org.eg
Ajaero, U. (2024). Eko Resilience (Re) Designing Residential Communities that Are Resilient for the Urban Poor in Lagos, The Coastal City (Master's thesis, University of Maryland, College Park).
Ajani, O. A. (2024). Entrepreneurship education in South Africa’s higher education institutions: In pursuit of promoting self-reliance in students. International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, 13(1), 29-41
Akoni, A. (2019). Fire outbreak in Balogun Market again. Vanguard News. https://www.vanguardngr.com
Alabi, M., Adekalu, B., & Popoola, A. (2021). Market fire disaster experience in Lagos State, Nigeria: The chronicle of traders. Researchers Review, 5(2), 104–121. https://doi.org/10.5937/ZbDght2102104M
Alam, M. S., & Natsuda, K. (2016). The competitive factors of the Bangladeshi garment industry in the post-MFA era. Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 37(3), 316–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/02255189.2016.1153041
Alexander, D., & Magni, M. (2013). Mortality in the L’Aquila earthquake of 6 April 2009. PLoS Currents, 5. https://doi.org/10.1371/currents.dis.7a2b852b673347bb37819f485b6a1c18
Alexander, D. E. (2019). L’Aquila and the disaster cycle, 2009–2017. Disaster Prevention and Management, 28(4), 419–433. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-04-2019-0129
Aliyu, I., Orire, I. O., & Kabir, I. (n.d.). Assessment of the 2021 Sokoto Central Market fire disaster: a geographical perspective.
Alozie, N. O., & Akpan‐Obong, P. (2017). The digital gender divide: Confronting obstacles to women's development in Africa. Development Policy Review, 35(2), 137–160.
Altan, O., Alcántara-Ayala, I., Baker, D. N., et al. (2015). Disaster risk research and assessment. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-015-0059-y
Anagor-Ewuzie, A. (2024, June 30). How drinking untreated, unsafe water aids the cholera outbreak in Nigeria. BusinessDay. https://businessday.ng/news/article/how-drinking-untreated-unsafe-water-aid-cholera-outbreak-in-nigeria/
Anwana, S. B., Abdulsalam, B., & Duru, T. C. (2021). Assessing the Impact of Demolition of Informal Markets on the Socio-Economic Environment of Abuja. Journal of Research in Environmental and Earth Sciences, 7(12), 12–21.
Asan, K., & Bingol, E. (2024). Formation and sustaining of neo-tribes. In Reimagining community festivals and events (pp. 73–96). Routledge.
Barua, U., Mojtahedi, M., Han, H., & Ansary, M. A. (2025). Conceptualizing resilience, sustainability and smartness for building fire risk management. Sustainable Development, 33, 1328-1354. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70062
BBC. (2024). “I am 70 years old…” Lagos fire victim recounts loss. https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/c97z5x805nyo
Benedict, B. C. (2021). The use of disaster Facebook groups (Doctoral dissertation, Purdue University).
Bhandari, R. (2023). Building social cohesion through urban design. University Press.
Cai, D., Abram, N. J., Sharples, J. J., & Perkins-Kirkpatrick, S. E. (2022). Australia’s Black Summer fire disaster. Environmental Research Letters, 17(9), 094044. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8a0e
Couto, F. T., Santos, F. L., Campos, C., et al. (2022). Year-round fire season in Portugal. Atmosphere, 13(10), 1677. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101677
Daramola, A., & Ibrahim, L. (2021). Fire safety measures in Lagos residential buildings. Afet ve Risk Dergisi, 4(2), 135–144. https://doi.org/10.35341/afet.949030
Darwish Ahmad, A., Akafuah, N. K., Forthofer, J., et al. (2023). Fire whirl and forest fire disasters. Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering, 9, 1045542. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmech.2023.1045542
Fahmi, M., & Safitri, N. A. (2024). “Market Analysis and Consumer Behaviour of Indomaret Minimarkets in Banjarmasin City”, International Journal of Business and Applied Economics, vol.3, no.2, pp.299–310.
Falola, O.J., Agbola, S.B. Institutional Capacity and the Roles of Key Actors in Fire Disaster Risk Reduction: The Case of Ibadan, Nigeria. Int J Disaster Risk Sci 13, 716–728 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-022-00440-3
Gazzard, R., McMorrow, J., & Aylen, J. (2016). Wildfire policy in England. Philosophical Transactions B, 371(1696), 20150341. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2015.0341
Gherabi, N., Lifa, A., & Ketfi, S. (2024). Disaster risk management in Algeria. Italian Journal of Engineering Geology and Environment, 79–91. https://doi.org/10.4408/IJEGE.2024-01.O-8
Gonzalez-Perez, A., Mun, D. S., Rho, J. H., & Kim, J. J. (2024). Pollutant Dispersion from a Structural Fire Accident and its Effect on the Local Environment using a CFD Model. 한국대기환경학회지 (국문), 40(3), 319–336.
Gragnani, A., de Oliveira, A. F., Boro, D., et al. (2017). Kiss nightclub tragedy response. Burns, 43(2), 343–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2016.09.004
Gutiérrez, E., & Kliatskova, T. (2021). National Development Financial Institutions. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1442-6
Hennessey, T. (2020). Making public inquiries transformative.
Hino, H., Piot, C., Hamaguchi, N., Brouwer, L., & Yin, J. (2024). “Rethinking the Informal Economy in Africa: Findings of a Survey of Microbusinesses in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.
Hmama, Z. (2025). Innovation and its implications for value creation in the Moroccan social entrepreneurship landscape: an exploratory phenomenological study. Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 23: 619–647. https://doi.org/10.1007s10843-025-00375-y
Huho, J.M., Mashara, J.N. & Musyimi, P.K. (2016). Profiling disasters in Kenya and their causes.
Ilodiuba, N., Nwaogazie, I., & Ugbebor, J. (2017). “Classification of Causes and Strategies for Curbing Market Fire in Nigeria.” Archives of Current Research International, vol. 7, no. 4. pp. 1–12.
Ilodiuba, N., Nwaogazie, I.L. & Ugbebor, J. (2020). “Causes and Strategies for Curbing Market Fire in Nigeria.” Emerging Issues in Science and Technology, p.81.
Jensen, K. B. (2013). “The Complementarity of Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies in Media and Communication Research, “ in A Handbook of Media and Communication Research, Routledge. pp. 266–284.
Jokotade, O. F., Akintunde, F. A., Joy, O. M., Ajoke, A. O., Segun, A. A., Abiodun, A. O., ... & Hakeem (2026). A. Building Urban Fire Resilience in Sub-Saharan African Cities: Evaluating Institutional and Planning Responses to Fire Disasters in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Scope, 7(1), 114–131. https://doi.10.47857/irjms.2026.v07i01.06033
Jones, M. W., Abatzoglou, J. T., Veraverbeke, S., Andela, N., Lasslop, G., Forkel, M., ... & Le Quéré, C. (2022). Global and regional trends and drivers of fire under climate change. Reviews of Geophysics, 60(3), e2020RG000726. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020RG000726
Koome, D. K. (2017). Factors Influencing Marketing of Agricultural Produce among Small-Scale Farmers, a Case of Sorghum in Giaki Location, Meru County, Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
Lagos State Ministry of Environment. (2020). Market fire: Lagos orders owners of stalls beneath Eko Bridge to relocate. https://environment.lagosstate.gov.ng/2020/02/17/market-fire-lagos-orders-owners-of-stalls-beneath-eko-bridge-to-relocate/
Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development. (2019). Lagos market infrastructure assessment report.
Lagos State Safety Commission. (2020). Enforcement of safety regulations in Lagos markets: Annual report.
Lourenco, M., Woodborne, S., & Fitchett, J. M. (2023). Fire regime of peatlands. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195(1), 78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11448-1
MacDonald, J. M., Perry, J., Ahearn, M. C., Banker, D., Chambers, W., Dimitri, C., ... & Southard, L. W. (2004). Contracts, markets, and prices: Organising the production and use of agricultural commodities. USDA-ERS Agricultural Economic Report, (837).
Manyena, B., Machingura, F., & O’Keefe, P. (2019). DRIFT framework. World Development, 123, 104587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104587
NCDC. (2024). Stop cholera: Public health advisory. https://ncdc.gov.ng
Nigerian Institute of Town Planners. (2021). Inclusive governance and market disaster management in Lagos: A policy brief.
Obinyan, O. O., Ukaogo, P. O., & Agada, E. N. (2019). Market fire disasters in Lagos. Jàmbá, 11(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v11i1.656
Ochia, K. (2022). “Marketplace Trade and West African Urban Development”, A Paradox. Springer Nature.
Odaudu, U. S., Zubairu, S.N., & Isah, A.D. (2019). “Determination of Active Protection Measures Against Fire in Wuse Market of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria”, American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, vol. 7, no.2, pp. 61 – 66.
Odogwu, G. (2021). Market fires and the Nigerian economy. Punch Newspapers. https://punchng.com
Okwuonu, I.E., Umeuduji, J.E., and Chukwu-okeah, G.O. (2022). “Fire Disaster Emergency Practices of Selected Markets in South-South Region of Nigeria,” Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 57 – 62.
Omoboye, I. F. & O.M. Ayiti. (2023). “Environmental Hazards and Sustainable Health in Nigeria. Research and Reviews”, Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol 6, no. 1, p. 1 – 10.
Ongoro, D.J. & Muiya, B.M. (2023). Strengthening Resilience to Fire Disasters through Community Participation in Gikomba Market, Nairobi City County, Kenya. European Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(2), pp.79–92.
Onuegbu, W. A. A., Obafemi, O.S. & Eludoyin, O.S. (2021). “Fire Hazard Preparedness and Mitigation in Selected Market Centres in South-Eastern Nigeria”, International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 581 – 586.
Oteng-Ababio, M., & Sarpong, A. O. (2015). Community-based fire risk reduction. Disasters, 39(3), 570–591. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12122
Pastam, M. K. (2024). Informal Settlements and Climate Change. Strategies for Adapting Hyderabad City to Heatwaves (Doctoral dissertation, Politecnico di Torino).
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Pinkse, J., & Kolk, A. (2012). Climate change and sustainable development nexus. Business & Society, 51(1), 176–210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650311427426
Popoola, A.A., Adekalu, O.B., Audu, A.A., Adeleye, B.M. & Jiya, F. (2016). “Analysis of Causes and Characteristics of Market Fires in Lagos State, Nigeria”, International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 2401 – 2421.
Purkait, M. K., Mondal, P., Changmai, M., Volli, V., & Shu, C. M. (2021). Hazards and Safety in Process Industries: Case Studies. CRC Press.
Scorah, H. W. (2022). Economic decision making under uncertainty for wildfire fuels mitigation (Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia).
Sharma, A., Srivastava, S., Mitra, D., & Singh, R. P. (2023). Air pollutants during forest fire events. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30, 110133–110160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25993-5
Shepherd, D.A. & Williams, T.A. (2014). Local venturing as compassion organising in the aftermath of a natural disaster: The role of localness and community in reducing suffering. Journal of Management Studies, 51(6), pp.952–994.
Shokrollahi, K., Tridente, A., & Dempsey, N. (2025). The Political and Human Impact of Major Burn Incidents: A Global Analysis of Mass Casualty Events Between 2010 and 2020. Annals of Plastic Surgery, 10–1097.
Siame, P., & Chisenga, R. P. A. (2026). Financial Innovation and Resilience: Transforming Zambian MSMEs through
Srivastava, A. K., & Srivastava, I. A. (Eds.). (2025). Cities: Inclusive, liveable, and sustainable. Taylor & Francis.
Microfinance and Public-Private Partnerships. Journal of Emerging Markets and Management, 2(1), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.63385/jmm.v2i1.218
Sikdar, P. K., & Basu, S. (2020). Contemporary environmental issues–The Indian perspective. In Habitat, Ecology and Ekistics: Case Studies of Human-Environment Interactions in India (pp. 11–51). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Silveira, M. V., Petri, C. A., Broggio, I. S., et al. (2020). Fire anomalies in the Amazon. Land, 9(12), 516. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9120516
Sunday, U.O. (2017). “Analysis of the Overview of the Causes of Fire Outbreaks in Nigerian Markets,” International Journal of Environmental Studies and Safety Research, vol. no.2, 1, pp.1–9.
Taylor, M., Appleton, D., Oakford, G., & Fielding, J. (2021). Fire prevention trends. Fire Technology, 57(4), 1783–1802. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-020-01078-z
Taylor, M., González, S., Waley, P., & Wilkinson, R. (2022). Developing Markets as Community Hubs for Inclusive Economies: A Best Practice Handbook for Market Operators.
Thompson, M. P., Bayham, J., & Belval, E. (2020). COVID-19 outbreak in the fire camp. Fire, 3(3), 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire3030038
Topsakal, E. D. (2023). In Search of the” Definite Reference”: Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris and Gothic Architecture (Doctoral dissertation, Middle East Technical University (Turkey).
Umeokafor, N., Okoro, C., Diugwu, I., & Umar, T. (2023). Design for safety in Nigeria. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 41(2), 476–494. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBPA-05-2021-0066
Unnikrishnan, S., Iqbal, R., Singh, A. & Nimkar, I.M. (2015). Safety Management Practices in Small and Medium Enterprises in India. Safety and health at work, 6(1), pp.46–55.
Wang, W., Xu, Z., Sun, D., & Lan, T. (2021). Fire station spatial optimisation. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 10(5), 282. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10050282
Windapo, A. O., & Rotimi, J. O. (2012). Contemporary issues in building collapse and its implications for sustainable development. Buildings, 2(3), 283–299. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings2030283
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications (6th ed.). Sage.
Yuen, A. C. Y., Chen, T. B. Y., Li, A., et al. (2021). Fire risk and cladding panels. Fire and Materials, 45(5), 663–689. https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.2975
Zhang, L. (2023). Explosion Incidents. In Explosive Blast Injuries: Principles and Practices (pp. 623–632). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Zhong, S., & Werner, C. (2024). The hidden strength of small business: Social networks and wet market vendors in China. Economic Anthropology.
Zikeloglou, I., Lekkas, E., Lozios, S., & Stavropoulou, M. (2024). Community evacuation planning. Safety Science, 172, 106434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2023.106434
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Matthew Awotunde, Rafiu Adewale Aregbeshola (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
