A devastating fire has destroyed no fewer than 500 shops at Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan Southwest Local Government Area, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) South-West zone.
Efforts to control the blaze were hindered by the lack of functional fire trucks at the market’s fire station and an inadequate water supply.
Speaking after an on-the-spot assessment, NEMA’s Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Kadiri Olanrewaju, commended the responders—including the State Fire Service, as well as private fire units from Sumal and Sweetco—for preventing the fire from spreading to other parts of the market despite the challenges.
Initial assessments indicate losses running into hundreds of millions of naira, with reports stating that some affected traders had just received deliveries of plastic wares a day before the incident.
Olanrewaju confirmed that while no lives were lost, several individuals sustained minor injuries from smoke inhalation and shock as they attempted to salvage their goods.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started in the Plastic Merchants section and quickly spread due to the highly flammable nature of the stored goods.
Emergency responders included personnel from the state Fire Service, private fire units, market security, and local volunteers. However, response efforts were severely hampered by the lack of firefighting infrastructure at the market.
To prevent future incidents, NEMA has recommended several measures, including:
Strengthening fire safety protocols and equipping market fire stations with functional fire trucks and adequate water supply.
Conducting regular fire drills and safety training for traders.
Enhancing emergency response infrastructure within the market.
Establishing a well-equipped emergency response unit on-site.
Strengthening collaborations between federal and state governments and private organizations to improve disaster response.
Providing emergency relief packages to support affected traders in rebuilding their businesses.
Authorities are now assessing the full extent of the damage and exploring further measures to prevent a recurrence.
