Kano, Kano State, Nigeria — A fresh fire outbreak early on Friday, February 20, 2026, has destroyed parts of the Fatima Simra Multi-Purpose Market located in Dakata Quarters within Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State in northwestern Nigeria.
The latest incident comes less than one week after a separate inferno tore through the well-known Singer Market in Kano, causing widespread destruction and heavy financial losses for traders.
According to local authorities, the fire at Fatima Simra Multi-Purpose Market began in the early hours of Friday and spread quickly across several shops. Many of the affected businesses are small-scale enterprises involved in oil production as well as the recycling of plastics and nylon materials, sectors that often store flammable items.
The Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the development when contacted. The Kano State Fire Service is the government agency responsible for firefighting and emergency response across Kano State.
“As I’m speaking with you, our personnel are at the scene trying to put out the fire, which is still raging. We are yet to ascertain the cause of the inferno and the extent of the damage,” he said.
His statement indicates that, as of Friday morning, emergency responders were still working to bring the blaze under control, and authorities had not determined either the origin of the fire or the total value of goods lost.
Okay News reports that this new incident has heightened concern among traders and residents in Kano, one of Nigeria’s largest commercial hubs, where markets play a central role in the local economy. Kano State, with a population of more than 15 million people, is a key trading centre in northern Nigeria, and many families depend on small and medium-sized businesses for their livelihoods.
The development follows two separate fire outbreaks recorded earlier in February 2026 at Singer Market, a major commercial centre in Kano. Those incidents resulted in losses estimated at billions of naira. On his visit to the affected traders, the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, donated ₦100 million (about $67,000) to support victims.
In addition, the federal government of Nigeria and the Progressive Governors Forum, a coalition of state governors largely aligned with the ruling political party, jointly contributed ₦8 billion (about $5.3 million) to help cushion the impact of the losses suffered by traders at Singer Market.
With yet another market affected, attention is now turning to fire safety measures, emergency preparedness, and possible preventive steps to avoid repeated disasters. Authorities are expected to release further details once the fire is fully extinguished and an assessment of the damage is completed.
