A major fire at Singer Market in Kano city, the capital of Kano State in northern Nigeria, has destroyed goods and property estimated at more than ₦5 billion naira (about $3.6 million) and affected more than 1,000 businesses, according to market officials.
Junaid Zakari, the chairman of Singer Market, said on Sunday, February 15, 2026, that the incident was among the worst the market had experienced. Speaking to Journalists, Zakari said four residential buildings that also hosted small-scale businesses were burnt down in the blaze.
He said goods, equipment, and other valuables were destroyed, dealing a heavy blow to traders and families who depend on the market for income. Zakari added that seven people had been declared missing as of the time of the briefing, and that efforts were ongoing to trace them and determine whether they were alive or dead.
Okay News reports that emergency responders and security agencies were working at the scene as investigators tried to establish what caused the fire. Officials had not announced an official cause by the time traders began salvaging what they could from the remains of their shops.
Zakari appealed for urgent support to help victims restart their businesses, warning that the scale of the losses would have lasting effects on livelihoods in the area.
He also praised the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for visiting Singer Market while the fire was still burning. Separately, the governor had appealed to the federal government of Nigeria to provide modern firefighting equipment, including air support, after another outbreak was reported at the market. He made that request on Saturday, February 14, 2026, during a visit to the Gidan Gilas section of the market as the fire continued to spread.
Some traders described severe personal losses. A shop owner, Isa Abubakar, said he lost goods worth more than ₦200 million. “From God we come, and to Him we shall return. It is heartbreaking to see goods worth billions of naira destroyed by fire,” he said, while also commending the governor’s visit.
Another trader, Musa Ibrahim, said he lost goods valued at more than ₦340 million. “The fire consumed everything we had,” he said.
Dollar conversions are based on a mid-market rate of about ₦1,396 to $1 on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
