• Stakeholders call for policy overhaul, improved safety systems
By Chinelo Obogo
Between January 2023 and April 2025, at least 42 market fires ravaged major commercial hubs across 11 states in Nigeria.
This led to the destruction of goods and property worth more than ₦30 billion.
According to findings by Daily Sun, Lagos State has borne the brunt of the infernos, recording 17 major outbreaks during the period.
The most catastrophic occurred on January 21, 2024, when a fire swept through the Mandilas building in Balogun Market. The 14-storey structure, which accommodated 450 shops, 30 offices, two hotels and five restaurants, was gutted, leaving behind gargantuan losses and shattered livelihoods.
Northern Nigeria has not been spared either. Kano State alone has suffered seven incidents since 2023, the latest on April 18, 2025, when six shops were consumed by fire at Kurmi Market. Earlier in the year, the Yan Katako Market in Kano reported damages valued at ₦150 million.
In the southeast, Anambra’s Nkpor Main Market fire in December 2023 resulted in an estimated ₦300 million in losses. Kwara State experienced two notable incidents, including the 2023 Oja Tuntun Market blaze that wiped out merchandise valued at over ₦25 billion.
Despite the frequency of these disasters, many markets remain ill-equipped to prevent or control fires.
In Anambra, for example, fire-fighting facilities are glaringly inadequate.
Chibuzo Okonkwo, a trader who runs a shop at Relief Market in Onitsha, said, “Most of the 33 markets in Anambra State, including New Parts, Mgbuka Mmazu, Relief, Mgbuka Obosi, Ochanja, Main Market, Head Bridge, and Electricals, do not have fire trucks. What you would find in each line of the Relief
Market is just one fire extinguisher cylinder. But functional fire service trucks are practically nonexistent.”
Okonkwo recalled how Ochanja Market has been engulfed by fire twice. “The first time was due to a fuel tanker that overturned, spilling petrol into a gutter. A welder who was unaware of the situation was working nearby, and that sparked the fire. A lady lost her life in that incident. The second time, it happened at night and no one could say what caused it. At Mgbuka, it was an electrical surge that led to the fire,” he explained. On compensation, Okonkwo noted that victims hardly receive help from government authorities. “I am not aware that fire victims received any compensation from the state government. When such incidents occur, it is usually town unions, religious groups, or even friends and family that come to their aid. I remember a member of our association who was affected by the Ochanja fire; we had to contribute money to help him start over. That’s how it’s always been.”
Authorities appear to agree that negligence is a significant contributor to these incidents. The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Fire Service, Shakiru Amodu, stated that most of the fires stem from electrical surges, gas leaks and human carelessness.
“We have carried out sensitisation campaigns in many markets, but about 80 percent of the incidents are caused by the traders’ carelessness,” he said.
For the informal sector, especially small and medium-scale traders, these recurring fires deepen existing economic vulnerabilities. In Lagos markets such as Akere and Alaba Rago, traders lamented receiving little or no compensation from the state government, despite losing goods worth millions.
The fires have become a chronic threat across various states. In Abia, over N10 million worth of spare parts were lost in Aba in March 2023.
In Plateau State, the Katako Timber Market and Jos Terminus Market suffered devastating losses in November 2024 and April 2025, respectively. Adamawa, Nasarawa, Borno, and Rivers states have also recorded major fire incidents, with traders counting millions in losses and entire market sections reduced to ashes.
According to stakeholders, the frequency and scale of these market fires underline an urgent need for systemic fire prevention strategies, modern equipment and meaningful support for victims. Until then, Nigeria’s market traders continue to face the dual burden of economic survival and the ever-present threat of fire.