United Bank for Africa (UBA) has denounced speculation after a fire at one of its Lagos Island branches triggered widespread rumours that its corporate head office had been engulfed.

The bank confirmed the incident in a public statement, noting that a building on Broad Street, Lagos Island, which houses one of its numerous branches, was affected by the blaze.

“As against reports online and social media, the affected building is not the UBA House, Marina, the Bank’s head office,” the statement clarified. 

“We have ensured the safety and well-being of our staff and customers in the branch,” the bank added.

The clarification followed confusion on social media, where videos showed workers struggling to escape through windows, with some attempting to leap from the upper floors.

While no fatalities were reported, the images have intensified public debate over safety standards in Lagos’s central business district, where a mix of modern office towers and ageing commercial properties house some of the country’s largest banks, insurers and law firms.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service reported that emergency teams had contained the blaze, but questions linger about what caused the outbreak and why escape routes appeared inadequate. Fire service officials have previously complained about blocked exits, poor adherence to safety codes and delayed reporting of incidents in parts of the city’s commercial hub.

UBA, which operates in 20 African countries and maintains offices in London, Paris and New York, said it is heavily invested in projecting its image as a pan-African banking leader. 

The incident also reflects the operational risks faced by businesses in Lagos, where overstretched urban infrastructure frequently clashes with the demands of a modern financial centre. Fires in markets and office complexes are recurrent, often blamed on faulty wiring, overcrowding and insufficient enforcement of safety regulations.

However, for Lagos’s financial sector, the images of bankers clambering out of windows were a reminder that alongside balance sheet strength and digital innovation, physical resilience remains an underappreciated pillar of corporate stability.

UBA urged customers seeking updates to use its official channels, while regulators are expected to review the incident as part of broader efforts to strengthen fire safety compliance across the city’s commercial nerve centre.