Lagos — Worried by the devastating incidence of fire on Lagos Island, oil giant, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and an advocacy group, LIMGE are refurbishing the Ajele Fire Station on the Lagos Island.

The plan, THISDAY gathered, is to make the Ajele Fire Station, a world class and efficient fire station.

LIMGE, which is an acronym for Lagos Island Millennium Group on the Environment, since coming into existence in 1999, has worked in concert with the Lagos State and its members to transform and restore Lagos Island to its former glory.

Speaking on the transformation, LIMGE's Managing Director/CEO, Chief Taiwo Taiwo, said the group partnered the Lagos State Government to get rid of street urchins (area boys) by decongesting the streets, clearing of street traders and as well as protecting street names and traffic lights from been vandalised.

This, he said was to ensure that "no building in Lagos Island is ever destroyed by fire again."

Speaking further, Taiwo said the NGO was partnering with SNEPCo to turn the Ajele Fire Station into "a world class state of the art, fully equipped and functional fire service station dedicated to meeting the fire safety needs of businesses within the Lagos Island CBD. When completed, it would operate 24 hours and be capable of dealing with fire in a 90-storey building."

Justifying the reason for the collaboration on Ajele Fire Station, the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Company (SNEPCo), Chike Onyejekwe, said his company was partnering with LIMGE because the Ajele Fire Station as it, "was 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 Ajele Fire Station."

The first phase of the project, which has received endorsements from the Lagos State Government and the Federal Government, would be completed by June next year.