This was once a bustling Lagos slum - now all that's left is ash and the charred remnants of ramshackle homes.

A raging fire has left the poor community, once home to thousands, in ruins - but there were no fatalities.

The rundown area also had sawmills used to process timber from across Nigeria.

One Lagos official said the financial cost would be extensive.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) ADEKOYE RUFUS OLADELE, CHAIRMAN, LAGOS MAINLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

"Lots of money has been lost to the fire and you know it runs into millions if not billions we have mainly saw millers here who normally trade here and a lot of their machines have been affected."

The devastating blaze is believed to have been started by an electrical fault.