NSGF chairman calls for tech-driven safety measures as traders count losses; VP Shettima to lead federal delegation with financial aid
For Alhaji Musa, a wholesale grocer at Kano's sprawling Singa Market, the nightmare began Saturday afternoon with a flicker of flame in a provision store at Gidan Gashash. By the time firefighters could navigate the market's choked access roads, his decades of hard-earned capital had vanished into ash and smoke.
"I watched my life's work turn to smoke in hours," Musa lamented, standing frozen before the ruins of his shop. "We tried to salvage what we could, but the heat was unbearable, and the smoke was suffocating" .
His story has become tragically familiar across Nigeria's largest food market, where a devastating fire has destroyed over 1,000 businesses and caused estimated damages exceeding **N5 billion** . The blaze, which raged for nearly 24 hours, marks the second major fire at Singa Market in less than two weeks—compounding losses and emotional trauma for traders still reeling from a February 2 outbreak that destroyed dozens of shops .
'A Double Tragedy'
The fire, which originated Saturday afternoon in a provision store, spread rapidly across the market, obliterating goods and property before firefighters could mount an effective response . Poor access roads and heavy human traffic severely hampered emergency services, with Saminu Abdullahi, spokesperson for the Kano State Fire Service, confirming that "lack of accessible routes and heavy human traffic made it difficult to reach the heart of the blaze in time" .
Beyond the flames, traders faced an additional scourge. "It is a double tragedy," said Baba Habu, a detergent wholesaler. "You are fighting the fire while watchful of some miscreants whose intentions were to loot" .
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) coordinated a multi-agency response, deploying teams from the Federal Fire Service, Kano State Fire Service, Aspira Nigeria Limited, Dangote Group, and the Nigerian Red Cross Society. Firefighting efforts continued into Sunday morning before the blaze was finally contained .
Governors: 'We Must Act Now'
On Sunday, the Northern States Governors' Forum (NSGF) issued a statement expressing deep sympathy with affected traders while demanding urgent preventive measures.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Forum, NSGF Chairman and Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya described the inferno as "particularly heartbreaking, coming barely weeks after a similar outbreak in the same market, thereby compounding the losses and emotional trauma suffered by already vulnerable traders" .
Yahaya lamented the recurring spate of market fires across northern Nigeria, noting that such incidents "have continued to erode livelihoods, disrupt economic activities and push many families into hardship" .
He stressed that the persistent nature of these disasters demands "urgent, comprehensive and technology-driven preventive measures by both state and federal authorities," including the deployment of modern fire detection and suppression systems, improved market planning and infrastructure, and stricter enforcement of safety regulations .
Federal Government Pledges Support
President Bola Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead a high-powered federal delegation to Kano, conveying condolences and offering financial assistance to victims .
The president, who spoke by telephone with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, expressed alarm that the latest incident occurred less than two weeks after a previous fire. He has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the causes of recurrent market fires .
Governor Yusuf, who visited the market while flames still raged Saturday night, called on the federal government to urgently provide modern firefighting equipment, "including air support and other essential tools," to strengthen emergency response capacity .
Traders' Despair*
For traders like Ibrahim Wada, the promised support cannot erase what was lost. "Before the time the path was cleared for the fire trucks, there was nothing left but charcoal," he said .
At least seven people were initially reported missing following the inferno, though official casualty figures remain unconfirmed .
The NSGF extended heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Kano State, praying Almighty Allah to "grant strength and restoration for the victims, urging them not to lose hope in the face of the devastating setback" .
As emergency responders finally withdrew and traders began sifting through heaps of charred metal and ash, one question echoed across the devastated market: how many more fires must consume northern Nigeria's commerce before the nation acts?
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