Reporting by Daily Post indicates that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has made an urgent appeal to the Federal Government for modern firefighting equipment, including air support, following a second devastating fire at the Singer Market. The Governor, who visited the scene while the fire was still active, stressed that the state’s current fire service capacity is insufficient to protect its vast commercial hubs.
The latest inferno, which razed the Gidan Gilas section of the market, occurred less than two weeks after a similar incident in the same area. The Governor commended the courage of the local fire service but noted that without specialized tools like firefighting helicopters, containing blazes in densely packed markets remains nearly impossible.
Governor Yusuf also called for a thorough investigation into the recurring nature of the fires to determine if they are accidental or the result of sabotage. The state government has pledged to support affected traders, though the scale of the losses is estimated to be in the billions of Naira.
Channels TV verified the Governor’s visit, reporting that the fire caused significant panic in the Kano metropolis. A trader quoted in The Punch lamented, “I have lost everything for the second time this month; we need more than just sympathy from the government.” Premium Times also covered the story, quoting an emergency responder: “The narrow access roads made it extremely difficult for our trucks to reach the heart of the fire.”
Echotitbits take: The recurring fires in Kano’s markets are a major threat to Northern Nigeria’s largest economy. Beyond equipment, the state needs a radical redesign of market layouts to allow for emergency access. Watch for a possible federal intervention involving the Air Force’s disaster response unit.
Source: Vanguard- https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/02/gov-yusuf-seeks-fgs-intervention-in-singer-market-fire/amp/, and February 15, 2026
Photo credit: Vanguard
Tag: Disaster Management
-
Kano Governor Seeks Federal Air Support Following Massive Market Inferno
-
Fire Service Decorates Newly Promoted Officers, Pushes Faster Emergency Response
Figures cited by The Guardian indicate fire service leadership urged newly promoted officers to respond swiftly to emergencies during a decoration ceremony for newly elevated personnel.
The message aligns with broader calls to strengthen emergency readiness in cities facing frequent market, residential, and industrial fires.
Promotion events are symbolic, but impact is measured in response times, functioning equipment, and improved dispatch systems.
BusinessDay also reported the service “decorates 2,620 newly promoted senior officers,” while the Federal Fire Service’s public updates have referenced property-loss prevention at “₦500,000,000” scale.
Echotitbits take: Watch funding and equipment delivery—training without trucks, water access, and dispatch modernization won’t change outcomes.
Source: BusinessDay — https://businessday.ng/news/article/fire-service-decorates-2620-newly-promoted-officers-reaffirms-commitment-to-safety/ January 10, 2026
BusinessDay 2026-01-10
Photo Credit: BusinessDay
-
Tragedy in Lagos as Fire Claims Eight Lives at Great Nigeria Insurance Building
Reporting by The Cable confirms that eight people lost their lives in a devastating fire that gutted the Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building in Lagos. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who visited the scene, confirmed the fatalities and stated that thirteen survivors are currently receiving medical attention.
The Governor has ordered the immediate demolition of the burnt-out structure to prevent a secondary collapse. The incident has once again raised questions about fire safety protocols in the high-rise buildings of the Lagos Central Business District, particularly during the dry Harmattan season.
BusinessDay reported that ‘Sanwo-Olu confirms 8 fatalities, 13 survivors,’ while Premium Times noted that the death toll rose after several victims succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The state government has pledged to conduct a forensic audit of all high-rise buildings in the vicinity.
Echotitbits take: This is a grim reminder of the infrastructure decay in Lagos Island. Beyond condolences, the state must enforce the 2025 Building Safety Code strictly; otherwise, these ‘preventable’ tragedies will continue to haunt the city’s skyline.
Source: Premium Times — https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/847230-sanwo-olu-orders-demolition-of-burnt-out-gni-building-as-fire-death-toll-rises-to-eight.html
Premium Times January 3, 2026Photo Credit: Premium Times
-
Balogun high‑rise inferno: China‑returnee confirmed among victims as rescue winds down
Photo Credit: The Punch
2025-12-28 09:00:00From PUNCH reports, emergency responders confirmed that three bodies—including a China-based trader—were recovered from the rubble of the fire-ravaged Great Nigeria Insurance House near Balogun Market, Lagos Island.
Officials said the blaze, which started on upper floors of the high-rise commercial building, escalated into a complex rescue-and-recovery operation involving multiple agencies working amid structural risks.
Authorities urged traders and nearby occupants to keep off the immediate area as assessments continued, while families waited for updates on missing persons.
Premium Times reported LASEMA warning that “The fire continues to spread vertically,” while Peoples Gazette quoted officials saying teams were working “under challenging conditions because of the building’s height.”
Echotitbits take: Lagos’ dense, older commercial corridors need stricter fire-code enforcement, warehouse-use regulation, and rapid-access equipment—especially for high-rise markets. Watch next for demolition decisions, compensation claims, and the fire-cause investigation.
Source: The Punch — December 28, 2025 (https://punchng.com/lagos-fire-trapped-china-returnee-two-others-recovered-dead/)
The Punch December 28, 2025
https://punchng.com/lagos-fire-trapped-china-returnee-two-others-recovered-dead/ -
Night Fire Guts Lagos Island High-Rise, Traders Count Losses as Rescue Efforts Continue
Photo Credit: The Punch
2025-12-26 06:10:00Reporting by *PUNCH* indicates that a major blaze at the Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) House area on Lagos Island triggered panic among traders and residents, with emergency responders battling the flames and attempting to secure adjoining structures.
Witness accounts described a chaotic scramble as shop owners tried to salvage goods, while authorities moved to cordon off streets and restrict movement around the incident zone.
Beyond the immediate human-safety concerns, the disruption hit Christmas-period commerce, forcing nearby markets and shops to suspend activity and deepening losses for small businesses already strained by costs and weak demand.
Officials are expected to provide fuller incident reports on suspected ignition points, building compliance issues, and enforcement actions to prevent a repeat.
Channels Television reported the governor saying the 25-storey GNI building “will be demolished once the inferno is completely put out,” while *TheCable* quoted LASEMA’s update: “The fire has now been contained by the combined efforts of responders at the scene.”
Echotitbits take: Lagos fires are increasingly becoming an economic story, not just a safety headline—inventory losses, insurance claims, and shutdown days compound hardship. Watch for transparent structural integrity assessments, accountability on fire-safety compliance, and credible relief measures for affected traders.
Source:The Punch p — Dec 26, 2025 (https://punchng.com/lagos-fire-china-returnee-others-still-trapped-in-22-storey-building/)
-
Lagos Island High-Rise Fire Leaves Injuries, Renews Safety Questions
Photo Credit: Vanguard
2025-12-25 10:15:00Writing in a holiday update, Vanguard reports that a major fire outbreak tore through parts of a high-rise building on Lagos Island, leaving multiple people injured and forcing emergency services into a complex containment operation.
The incident raised fresh concerns about fire readiness in dense commercial corridors—especially in older high-rise clusters with limited access routes for responders.
Separately, Punch also reported the blaze and the emergency scramble around the area as responders worked to prevent spread to surrounding structures.
In related coverage, TheCable reported that Lagos emergency officials deployed specialised response teams, underscoring how quickly such incidents can escalate in congested island districts.
Echotitbits take: Lagos’ recurring high-rise fire episodes keep pointing to the same pressure points: building compliance, hydrant availability, access for trucks, and occupant evacuation drills. Watch for an official incident report that names the building’s compliance status, the ignition source, and whether sanctions or mandatory retrofits follow.
Source: Vanguard — December 25, 2025 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/fire-razes-parts-of-25-storey-building-on-lagos-island/)
Vanguard 2025-12-25
-
Auchi tanker blast injures residents as fire spreads through spilled fuel
Photo Credit: Vanguard / File
2025-12-18 10:00:00Vanguard reports that a fuel tanker crash in Auchi, Edo State triggered a dangerous fire that left multiple people injured and caused damage around the impact area.
The account points to a spill scenario where fuel fed the flames, forcing responders to focus on evacuation, containment and treatment of casualties.
Verification: The Guardian (Nigeria) and The Whistler (citing NEMA) also reported the incident and the scale of injuries.
Quotes: The Guardian: “no fewer than 25 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries…” The Whistler: “the incident occurred… when a tanker reportedly lost control…”
Analysis/Echotitbits take: This is a recurring national safety failure: weak haulage standards, poor road design and weak route control. Watch for enforcement on tanker safety, speed limits, and safer transport corridors—beyond condolence statements.
Source: Vanguard — 2025-12-18 — https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/scores-injured-as-tanker-explosion-rocks-auchi/
Vanguard 2025-12-18
-
27-Man National Humanitarian Coordination Working Group Set to boost aid delivery
A 27-man National Humanitarian Co-ordination Technical Working Group (NHCTWG) has been inaugurated to provide technical support to the National Humanitarian Coordination Committee (NHCC) constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari to oversee all humanitarian actions in the country.This was disclosed Wednesday by Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Humanitarian Affair, Disaster Management and Social Development, Nneka Ikem Anibeze.
Anibeze noted that the Working Group which was inaugurated on Tuesday September 1, 2020 by the Minister of Humanitarian Affair, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, is expected to enhance coordination and seamless delivery of humanitarian aid to affected communities in the country.
READ ALSO:
Mining: Adegbite urges companies to operate within guidelines
According to Anibeze At the minister charged the members to ensure the implementation of all NHCC recommendations related to the operationalization of the CiSEC framework and guidelines and to propose a national vision for humanitarian action.
“It is important that you understand that your Committee will not only cater to the North East but will take into context, Nigeria as a whole.
“Your Terms of Reference also include proposal of policies that will enhance coordination and seamless delivery of humanitarian aid to affected communities in the country; Ensure that CiSEC guidelines and related action plans reflect adherence to humanitarian principles and best practices while engaging all parties in crisis response situations, taking cognisance of Nigeria’s national security interests”.
Hajiya Umar Farouq also emphasized the need to ensure that functional engagements between security and humanitarian actors remain consistent with the principles under the CiSEC framework and also promote advocacy on humanitarian access, protection and logistics issues as required.
READ ALSO:
BUA, Axens Sign Agreement for 200,000bpd Refinery Project in Akwa Ibom
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of The Working Group Grema Ali. who is also the Permanent Secretary overseeing the Ministry, thanked the Minister for the privilege to serve in the group.
“Thank you for finding us worthy of working in this technical group and for the confidence reposed in us. By the grace of God, we shall not disappoint you”.
The TWG is made up of critical stakeholders comprising of Commissioners in charge of Humanitarian issues in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe; heads of NEMA, NEDC and NCFRMI; representatives of Operations of the Armed Forces, the European Union Commision, United States Agency for International Development and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs