President Bola Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to head a high-powered Federal Government delegation to Kano in the aftermath of the destructive fire at Singer Market.
The delegation is scheduled to depart Abuja on Monday to convey the President’s condolences and solidarity to traders who reportedly lost goods worth billions of naira in the inferno — the second major fire incident at the market within two weeks.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, noting that the team would also formally pledge Federal Government financial assistance to support affected traders and work with the Kano State Government to fast-track the market’s reopening.
Members of the delegation include Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin; Senator Kawu Ismaila; and Abubakar Kabir Bichi, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Also part of the team are the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard Doro, and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar.
According to the statement, President Tinubu had earlier spoken by telephone with Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf to express his condolences to the traders and residents of the state over the devastating blaze.
The fire, which broke out on Saturday evening and raged into Sunday morning, caused widespread destruction at Singer Market — widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s largest food markets.
The President expressed particular concern that the latest incident occurred barely two weeks after a previous fire gutted dozens of shops and valuable property at the same location.
Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the recurring outbreaks, underscoring the urgent need to identify their causes and implement lasting preventive measures to protect traders and livelihoods.
