Abstract
Fire outbreaks in commercial buildings remain a persistent urban safety challenge on Lagos Island, Nigeria, resulting in recurrent loss of lives, property damage and economic disruption (NFPA 2022). While policy responses have largely focused on emergency firefighting capacity and post-incident management, contemporary fire-safety scholarship emphasizes that fire risk and severity are significantly influenced by architectural design decisions made at planning and construction stages (Meacham 2016, Cowlard et al 2013). This study critically assesses the architectural measures and procedures deployed in commercial buildings on Lagos Island to mitigate fire outbreaks, with emphasis on design-based fire prevention and containment strategies. Using a qualitative research approach, data were gathered through systematic field observations, supported by photographic documentation across selected commercial districts on Lagos Island, complemented by a review of relevant fire-safety regulations, international best practices and synthesized stakeholder responses derived from observed construction practices and regulatory frameworks Olusola and Babatunde 2016). Findings revealed widespread deficiencies in compartmentation, means of egress and escape, fire-rated materials, service integration and facade treatment which collectively increase the likelihood of fire incidents escalating into uncontrolled outbreaks (Torero 2012, Watts and Hall 2012). The study concludes that architectural interventions, where properly regulated, enforced and integrated at design level and construction stages, play a critical role in curtailing fire incidents in commercial environments Recommendations are made for design-oriented policy enforcement, improved regulatory compliance and context-sensitive fire safety panning in Lagos Island commercial developments. This study contributes to architectural criticism and urban fire safety discourse within rapidly urbanizing contexts in the Global South.