Singer Market Inferno: Tinubu pledges to support victims as Shettima leads FG’s delegation to Kano

Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead a high-powered Federal Government delegation to Kano to sympathise with victims of the devastating fire that razed Singer Market over the weekend.

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President Bola Tinubu directed the Vice President to head the delegation as part of efforts to demonstrate the Federal Government’s solidarity with affected traders and the Kano State Government.

The delegation, scheduled to depart Abuja on Monday, is expected to formally convey the President’s condolences to traders who reportedly lost goods worth billions of naira in the inferno.

The fire, which began on Saturday evening and raged into Sunday morning, caused extensive destruction in what is regarded as Nigeria’s largest food market.

The latest incident marks the second fire outbreak at the market in less than two weeks, a development that has heightened concerns over safety standards and fire prevention measures in major commercial hubs.

As part of its intervention, the Federal Government delegation will also pledge financial assistance to support the victims and assist the Kano State Government in facilitating the swift reopening of the market to restore economic activities.

Members of the delegation include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; Senator Kawu Ismaila; and Rep. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee.

Also on the team are the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Bernard M. Doro, and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar.

President Tinubu had earlier spoken by telephone with Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to obtain a firsthand situation report on the scale of the damage and the state’s immediate response efforts.

Describing the incident as deeply troubling, particularly coming so soon after a previous blaze destroyed dozens of shops in the same market, the President ordered a comprehensive investigation into the recurring fires.

He stressed the need to identify the root causes and implement lasting preventive measures to protect traders and their livelihoods.

Singer Market serves thousands of traders and supplies food items to residents within and beyond Kano.

The repeated outbreaks have left many business owners counting heavy losses, with calls mounting for improved fire safety infrastructure and emergency response systems across major markets in the country.