At least seven people are feared missing following a massive fire that gutted portions of a major trading hub in Kano, leaving traders reeling from losses estimated in the millions of naira.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of Sunday, February 15, 2026, at the bustling Singer Market, one of the city’s busiest commercial centres. Eyewitnesses said thick smoke and towering flames engulfed sections of the market, sending traders and residents scrambling to safety as the inferno spread rapidly through shops and warehouses stocked with goods.
Preliminary assessments by officials and traders suggest that **properties and stock worth up to ₦5 billion may have been destroyed including merchandise, equipment, and business infrastructure. Many traders, who depend on daily sales for their livelihoods, are now faced with huge financial losses and uncertainty about how to recover.
Search and rescue teams, including personnel from the Nigeria Fire Service and the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), battled the flames for several hours before bringing the fire under control. In the aftermath, authorities confirmed that seven people mostly traders or workers who were inside buildings when the fire erupted are still unaccounted for.
Search efforts continue, with teams combing through smouldering debris in hopes of locating survivors or recovering bodies. Local residents and business owners have formed search parties to assist, though officers caution that the risk of collapse and hotspots still pose danger.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has expressed condolences to affected families and confirmed that the state government is mobilising emergency relief and support for displaced traders. He said agencies are working to determine the cause of the fire and to provide temporary shelter, medical aid, and financial assistance.
Traders at the market, some of whom arrived in tears to survey the wreckage of their shops, appealed for government intervention, soft loans, and reconstruction support to help them rebuild. Many lamented that the blaze will disrupt markets across the state and could push some small business owners into ruin.
The full scale of the economic impact is still being assessed, but early estimates suggest that hundreds of families and traders have been affected by the fire, making it one of the most significant commercial disasters in Kano in recent years.
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