Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
A devastating fire has destroyed goods and property worth millions of naira at the Creek Road Market in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with traders and eyewitnesses left puzzled over the cause of an inferno that has once again exposed the vulnerability of one of the city's oldest commercial hubs.
The fire broke out on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the section of the market relocated to Number Three Field in Old Port Harcourt Township. The affected section was engulfed by the blaze, which destroyed several shops and goods belonging to traders. As of the time of reporting, affected traders were on the scene assessing the extent of the damage and counting their losses, with no official confirmation of casualties and no explanation for what triggered the fire. The Rivers State Fire Service had not issued a statement on the incident at the time of this report, and the state government had not responded publicly to the traders' plight.
The location of the fire is significant. The Creek Road Market was relocated to Number Three Field during the reconstruction of Creek Road under the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike. What was intended as a temporary arrangement has stretched for years, leaving traders to operate in a facility that was never designed to serve as a permanent market. Governor Siminalayi Fubara has acknowledged the impact of the relocation, saying it had affected the face of the Old Township, and he has promised to reconstruct the market into an ultra-modern facility. During an inspection tour in April 2026, Fubara set a completion date of January 2027 for the ongoing construction of the new Creek Road Market. The traders who lost their goods on Thursday were operating in the temporary facility while awaiting the completion of the permanent structure.
The fire adds to a long and painful history of market fires in Port Harcourt, particularly along the Creek Road corridor. In November 2021, a fire at the Bonny/Bille/Nembe jetty along Creek Road killed three children and one woman, with eyewitnesses saying the blaze started from boats carrying petroleum products. In April 2022, another fire at the same jetty claimed the lives of three children and a woman, again linked to boats conveying gas cylinders. Those incidents prompted the Rivers State Government to set up a panel to investigate the causes of fire outbreaks across the state. The frequency of such incidents in the same area has fuelled concerns about the adequacy of fire safety infrastructure and emergency response capabilities in Port Harcourt's markets.
Markets across Nigeria have repeatedly been devastated by fires in recent years. In Lagos, the Computer Village in Ikeja has recorded multiple fires that destroyed goods worth millions of naira. In September 2026, a fire gutted a building at the Computer Village, destroying goods and property. In Onitsha, the Main Market has experienced several fires that consumed billions of naira in goods. In Kano, the Sabon Gari market was razed in 2021. The pattern reflects systemic challenges: many Nigerian markets lack adequate fire hydrants, water supply and emergency exits, and traders often store flammable materials in close proximity without proper ventilation or electrical safety measures. The Rivers State Fire Service has stations in Borokiri, Degema, Ahoada and Rumuodomaya, but the service has consistently complained of inadequate equipment and personnel to respond effectively to large-scale fires.
For the traders at Number Three Field, the destruction of their goods represents not only a financial loss but a threat to their livelihoods. Many of them operate on thin margins, financing their inventory through personal savings, family loans or informal credit arrangements. A fire that destroys their stock can wipe out years of accumulated capital in a single morning, leaving them unable to restock or meet their financial obligations. The absence of comprehensive insurance coverage for small-scale traders in Nigeria compounds the problem, as most market operators cannot afford premiums or are unaware of available insurance products. The government's response, when it comes, will be watched closely to see whether it goes beyond expressions of sympathy to provide tangible support for affected traders.
The timing of the fire is particularly difficult. Nigeria is marking its 66th Independence Anniversary, a day of national reflection, and the 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. The political environment has been charged with allegations of violence and intimidation, and the fire at Creek Road Market will add to the sense of insecurity and frustration that many Nigerians feel as they confront the economic challenges of daily life. Whether the authorities treat the traders' losses with the urgency the situation demands will be a test of governance at the grassroots level.
For the people of Port Harcourt, the fire at Creek Road Market is a painful reminder that the city's commercial infrastructure remains vulnerable to disasters that could be mitigated with better regulation, investment in fire safety and support for the informal economy. The traders who lost their goods on Thursday are not asking for charity. They are asking for a safe place to do business, for the promise of a new market to be fulfilled and for a government that treats their livelihoods as a priority. As they sift through the debris of another market fire, the question on their lips is the one that has followed every such tragedy in Nigeria: when will the next one happen, and who will be held accountable for the systems that failed?
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