kano market fire.webp
The Digest:

Another fire outbreak has erupted at Kano's popular Singa Market, destroying shops in the Gidan Glass section along Ado Bayero Road on Saturday afternoon. This is the second fire incident at the market in less than two weeks. Trader Nasir Maharazu told Daily Trust the fire began around 4:00pm and was still raging at press time, describing it as "worse than the one recorded less than two weeks ago." Eyewitnesses said the fire started from a provision shop, spreading rapidly through the two-storey building. Kano State Fire Service officials arrived with trucks but initial water supply was exhausted, requiring reinforcement. A private water tanker from Aspira Nigeria Limited joined the effort. The cause remains under investigation. Singa Market is the biggest commodity market in northern Nigeria.

Key Points:
  • The second fire in weeks compounds economic losses for traders already recovering from the previous blaze.
  • It disrupts supply chains for provisions and foodstuff across northern Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
  • Affected traders face devastating financial ruin, while the wider regional economy feels supply shocks.
  • This signals critical gaps in fire prevention and emergency response infrastructure at major markets.
  • The timing, with traders still counting losses from the first fire, deepens hardship and desperation.

Authorities face urgent calls to investigate the cause and implement preventive measures as traders count catastrophic losses from the second inferno.

Sources: Daily Trust, Kano State Fire Service