Recurring market fires in Kano: How long shall we keep watching?

For decades now, the markets of Kano have repeatedly gone up in flames. Each time it happens, we mourn, we count losses in billions; we sympathise with traders — and then we move on, until the next fire returns. But the truth is painful: these fires are not accidents of fate. They follow a pattern. And unless we understand that pattern in simple terms, we will continue to watch our economic lifeline burn.

Between 1974 and 2017 alone, official records show not less than 366 fire incidents across major markets in Kano metropolis. What is more alarming is that nearly 70% of these occurred between 2007 and 2017. Do you have an idea about how many occurred between 2017 to date? The more our markets expand, the more electrified and congested they become, the higher the risk. Today, with even greater commercial activities and increasing dependence on generators, inverters, and solar systems, the risk is even worse than the statistics suggest. The ongoing fire incident at Singer Market has proven difficult to extinguish (as usual) once again exposes how vulnerable our markets remain due to limited modern firefighting facilities and lack of fire risk preparedness.

Not all markets burn at the same rate. The data clearly shows that mixed markets (those selling a combination of textiles, plastics, electronics, cosmetics, chemicals, grains and household items) account for about 76.5 per cent of all recorded fires. Markets like Sabon Gari (including Singer), Kurmi Market and Rimi Market top the list in fire recurrence. For instance, Sabon Gari and Singer alone recorded 117 incidents between 1974 – 2017. These markets are dense and store highly flammable materials side by side. A single spark can quickly turn into an inferno.

By contrast, specialised markets dealing mainly in fruits and vegetables such as Yankaba Market and Yanlemo Market recorded very few incidents. Why? Because they have minimal electrification and sell less flammable goods. The lesson here is simple: where electricity is heavily used and flammable goods are densely stored, fire risk multiplies.

Electricity remains the major culprit. About 78 per cent of recorded market fires are linked to electrical faults. Substandard wiring, illegal connections, overloaded sockets, naked cables, unstable power supply, and negligence all combine into a dangerous mix. Many traders out of negligence leave appliances running overnight. Others use low-quality extension boxes and improvised wiring. In recent years, poorly installed solar systems and lithium batteries have introduced a new layer of risk. When these batteries are improperly ventilated or poorly managed, they can overheat and ignite. Without fire-resistant enclosures or proper installation standards, we are silently creating tomorrow’s disasters.

Seasonal patterns also tell a story. The highest numbers of fires occur during the hot and dry season. This is the period when cooling appliances run continuously, when heat intensifies electrical faults, and when flammable materials ignite more easily. But regardless of season, the core problem remains the same: our markets are not designed to prevent or quickly contain fires.

One of the most troubling realities is how long market fires last in Kano. Many burn for more than 24 hours before being fully extinguished. This is not because firefighters do not try. It is because our system is overwhelmed. Fire trucks struggle to access narrow, congested market lanes. There are no internal hydrant systems. There are no automatic sprinklers. Smoke detectors are absent. Water supply is often inadequate. Modern suppression equipment is limited. By the time responders arrive and attempt to penetrate the market core, the fire has already spread horizontally and vertically through tightly packed stalls filled with textiles, plastics, foam and timber.

The economic consequences are staggering. Thousands of shops have been destroyed over the years. In some single incidents, thousands of traders lost their entire investments overnight. Losses have been estimated in trillions of Naira. Families are pushed into poverty. Businesses collapse. Investor confidence weakens. Each fire is not just a local tragedy — it is an economic setback for the entire state.

The painful truth is that Kano still operates largely on a reactive system. We wait for fire to start, and then we respond. We mobilise trucks after ignition. We battle flames once they have grown out of control. This model will continue to fail us. What Kano urgently needs is a proactive fire risk management system.

Proactive means preventing before reacting. It means conducting mandatory electrical audits across all markets. It means removing illegal wiring and enforcing proper installation standards. It means installing smoke detectors, heat sensors and centralised alarm systems that alert authorities immediately a fire begins. It means equipping markets with automatic sprinkler systems and internal hydrants. It means placing fire extinguishers and even fire extinguishing balls — commonly called fire grenades — in strategic points so that small flames can be suppressed instantly before they spread.

We also need modern firefighting technology: foam-based suppression systems for flammable liquids, water mist systems for electrical fires, thermal imaging cameras to detect hidden hotspots, and compact fire trucks designed to navigate narrow market passages. Major markets should have dedicated mini fire stations with rapid response teams stationed within or near the premises. Lithium battery and solar installations must be regulated, certified, and monitored to prevent dangerous improvisation.

Above all, we must invest in education. Traders need regular fire safety training. Market associations should appoint fire wardens. Mock drills should become routine. Awareness campaigns must be conducted in languages traders understand best.

The recurring fires in Kano markets are not mysteries. The data shows clear patterns. The causes are identifiable. The solutions are known. What remains is the will to act decisively. How long shall we continue to watch our markets burn for days while livelihoods disappear in hours? Kano’s commercial strength is too important to be left vulnerable to preventable disasters. The time to move from sympathy to strategy, from reaction to prevention, is now

Dr Yunus is a Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography, Bayero University Kano and a

disaster emergency response expert

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