Singer Market: Fed govt to enforce proactive fire safety measures, says Shettima
…confirms N5bn relief for traders, urges transparent disbursement …assures AKK gas pipeline will revive Kano industries Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday restated the Federal Government’s resolve to prevent a
...confirms N5bn relief for traders, urges transparent disbursement
...assures AKK gas pipeline will revive Kano industries
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday restated the Federal Government’s resolve to prevent a recurrence of devastating fire outbreaks in Kano markets, assuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed relevant agencies to take proactive fire safety measures in collaboration with the Kano State Government.
Shettima gave the assurance at the State House, Abuja, when a delegation of the Association of Kano Business Community, led by its President, Alhaji Sabiu Bako, paid him a thank-you visit following the Federal Government’s intervention after the inferno that razed sections of the popular Singer Market in Kano.
The Vice President disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs had completed all necessary documentation for the release of the N5 billion pledge approved by President Tinubu to support traders and other victims of the fire incident, which destroyed goods and business capital worth billions of naira.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said “be rest assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has you at heart. When the incident happened, he immediately directed me to proceed to Kano and sympathise with victims of the inferno.
“In fact, he gave the blanket cheque to make a recommendation on the support we should give to the government and people of Kano. And the N5 billion approved by the President was based on the outcome of your preliminary assessment of the damages; otherwise, if the level of damage was up to N20 billion, I am absolutely certain that the President would have approved that amount”, Shettima said.
He noted that donations of such nature are handled by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and emphasised that the disbursement process must be transparent.
“The disbursement and utilisation of the funds must be transparently done for posterity,” he said.
Shettima further revealed that the President had directed relevant Federal Government agencies to work with Kano State authorities and the business community to introduce and strengthen fire safety measures across markets in the state.
“Government intends to engage your association to also introduce fire safety measures to prevent the reoccurrence of such incidents to safeguard the lives and properties of our people. The reoccurrence of fire of such magnitude can only be mitigated by taking proactive measures,” he stated.
Addressing broader economic concerns, the Vice President acknowledged the industrial challenges facing Kano, describing the state as one of Nigeria’s key industrial hubs.
He, however, expressed optimism that the ongoing $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project would rejuvenate industries in the state.
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The project, he said, includes a major 1,350 megawatts Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Kano and is currently at about 80 per cent completion.
“With the AKK, I believe Kano will bounce back to life again because power is sine qua non for any industrial take-off. Kano used to have as many as a thousand industries, and they will be revived,” he assured.
Earlier, Alhaji Sabiu Bako thanked President Tinubu and the Federal Government for their swift intervention, describing the N5 billion donation as a gesture that had brought renewed hope to affected traders.
“The donation of N5 billion to the affected traders has provided immediate succour and renewed hope among our people. This gesture of solidarity reflects the unity of purpose that defines our nation in times of crisis,” he said.
Bako appealed for the establishment of a special interest-free loan facility for affected traders, with a structured repayment period of up to ten years, and called for continued federal support in rebuilding critical infrastructure within the market to enhance safety standards.
“Kano’s business community is resilient. Our traders are industrious men and women who ask not for handouts, but for a bridge back to productivity. With structured support and sustained collaboration, Singer Market will rise again, stronger, safer, and more vibrant than ever,” he added.
