A ferocious fire tore through Maradi’s Grand Market late Sunday, ravaging much of the city’s bustling commercial core and striking a severe blow to trade networks spanning the southern Niger Republic and the Sahel region.
Firefighters battled the blaze overnight and were still extinguishing embers Monday morning.
Traders and officials reported that the market’s central warehouse and dozens of adjacent shops were gutted, erasing years of accumulated stock.
No fatalities occurred, but the economic fallout looms large.
The Niger Republic’s commerce minister, Abdoulaye Saidou, inspected the wreckage during a regional visit, touring burnt stalls and storage areas before meeting affected merchants.
Authorities are now tallying preliminary loss estimates.
“This market beats as Maradi’s economic heart. Last night’s flames consumed the livelihoods of thousands of families,” one trader lamented.
Major Trade Hub
Straddling the Nigerian border, Maradi ranks among Niger’s top trade hubs.
Its Grand Market funnels agricultural goods, livestock, textiles, fuel, and imports to northern Nigeria, Chad, and farther afield, sustaining urban and rural populations alike.
The inferno risks snarling supply chains amid Niger’s existing woes of economic pressure, insecurity, and shrinking border commerce.
Maradi’s traditional leader, Sultan Ali Aki, toured the site Sunday, extending sympathies and calling for community support for the displaced vendors.
Eyewitnesses say the fire ignited late Saturday night, racing through densely packed, flammable stalls.
Narrow paths and scant firefighting resources hindered containment, letting it rage for hours.
Such blazes plague Niger’s urban markets, spurred by overcrowding, illicit wiring, and absent safety protocols.
Recent outbreaks in Niamey, Zinder, and Diffa had similarly erased markets with scant aid for victims.
