Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Monday lead a Federal Government delegation to Kano, following the weekend fire disaster at Singa Market.
The delegation, according to a statement by Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, is mandated to convey the President’s condolences to traders who lost billions of naira in the inferno.
The fire, which started on Saturday evening and raged into Sunday morning, caused extensive damage to the market.
The inferno was the second to engulf the market within two weeks.
The delegation will also pledge, on behalf of the Federal Government, financial assistance to support victims and aid Kano State in facilitating the swift reopening of the market.
Members of the delegation include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; Kawu Ismaila; and Abubakar Kabir Bichi, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Also on the team are the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Bernard Doro, and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Zubaida Umar.
The statement indicated that Tinubu had earlier called Governor Abba Yusuf to express condolences to traders and residents of Kano State.
The President was said to have directed a comprehensive investigation into the recurrent market fires, the latest being the second in recent weeks.
According to a statement signed on Sunday by Onanuga, the President had reached out to Yusuf to obtain a situation report before issuing the directive.
The governor, earlier on Saturday, had urged the Federal Government to urgently provide modern firefighting equipment, including air support, following the second fire outbreak at the market in recent weeks.
He made the appeal during an assessment visit to the Gidan Gilas section of the market.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, quoted Yusuf as saying such intervention would strengthen the fire services’ capacity to respond effectively to emergencies in major commercial centres nationwide.
“Governor Yusuf called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene by providing modern firefighting equipment, including air support and other essential tools, to help contain the fire and prevent future occurrences.
“This intervention will go a long way in enhancing the operational capacity of our fire services and minimising the scale of destruction recorded during such unfortunate incidents,” the statement read.
The governor urged traders and residents to remain calm and cooperate with emergency responders as efforts continued to bring the situation under control.
“We appeal to traders and residents to remain calm and support the emergency teams as they work tirelessly to extinguish the fire and safeguard lives and property,” he added.
Yusuf, during the visit, donated N100m to affected traders.
On Sunday, the All Progressives Congress national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, accompanied by former APC national chairman, Dr Umar Ganduje, visited the market to commiserate with traders.
During the visit, the APC chairman expressed deep condolences to the affected traders and market community for the tragic incident, which occurred just a day earlier.
Yilwatda spent time interacting with victims at the scene, assessing the extent of the damage and offering words of sympathy on behalf of the party.
The Southern Governors’ Forum commiserated with the government and people of Kano State over the devastating fire outbreak at Singa Market in Kano.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the chairman of the forum and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, the governors described the incident as one of the most unfortunate tragedies in the history of the market.
He sympathised with traders who lost valuable goods and properties, urging them not to lose hope.
According to him, the destruction of four residential buildings housing small-scale businesses, alongside the loss of equipment, merchandise, and other valuables, was a heavy blow to the livelihoods of many families.
Abiodun called on market authorities and relevant local government officials to implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
Also, the Northern States Governors’ Forum expressed deep sympathy with traders, shop owners and all victims affected by the devastating market fire.
In a statement issued on behalf of the forum, the Chairman of the NSGF and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Yahaya, on Sunday, said the inferno was particularly heartbreaking, coming barely weeks after a similar outbreak in the same market, thereby compounding the losses and emotional trauma suffered by already vulnerable traders.
Yahaya, in a press statement signed by the Director-General of Press Affairs, Gombe Government House, Ismaila Misilli, lamented the recurring spate of market fires across the North, noting that such incidents had continued to erode livelihoods, disrupt economic activities and push many families into hardship.
A former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in a statement on Saturday, described the incident as devastating and extended condolences to traders and families affected by the inferno.
“I extend my deepest sympathies to all those affected by the devastating fire that continues to rage at the Singer Market in Kano,” he said.
The former presidential candidate called on relevant authorities and stakeholders to urgently mobilise resources to contain the situation and mitigate losses.
“I urgently call on relevant government agencies, the Federal and Kano State Fire Service, security outfits, humanitarian organisations, well-meaning individuals and the private sector to mobilise urgently and provide every possible support — whether firefighting resources, emergency medical aid or relief materials — to bring this inferno under control and alleviate the suffering of those impacted,” Kwankwaso stated.
He stressed the need for coordinated intervention to prevent further destruction of goods and property, urging a swift response to support affected traders.
Also, former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on his X handle, called for a thorough assessment of the cause that would lead to practical steps to keep markets safe.
He lamented the losses suffered by victims and commended emergency responders and volunteers for their efforts to prevent further damage.
The chairman of the market, Junaid Zakari, said property worth over N5bn had been destroyed, with more than 1,000 businesses affected and seven persons declared missing as of Sunday.
He described the incident as one of the worst tragedies in the market’s history, noting that four residential buildings housing small-scale businesses were completely razed.
Singa Market has a history of recurring fires, with outbreaks recorded in 2023 and as recently as November 2025, when an inferno destroyed 44 shops, including 25 temporary structures and 19 permanent stores.
Investigations have repeatedly traced the cause to poor handling of electrical appliances and faulty wiring.
Emergency responders at the scene on Saturday said that although officials of the Kano State Fire Service arrived with a fire truck, the initial water supply was exhausted while battling the flames.
A second truck later arrived, followed by a private water tanker from Aspira Nigeria Limited, which joined the effort.
