Business
SPECIAL REPORT: Day Akwa Ibom market burned because a fire truck had no fuel
Blackened palm oil flowed across the wet market walkway. Burnt roofing sheets hung loosely over collapsed wooden stalls. Damaged freezers, melted buckets of rice, scorched cartons of tomatoes, and warped metal doors lay in heaps. Traders wandered through the debris in stunned silence, some clutching keys to shops that no longer existed.
Around 1 a.m. on 19 May, a fire broke out near the market fence at one of the container shops used as a cold room, according to witnesses. Within minutes, the flames spread through makeshift structures crowded against the perimeter of one of Akwa Ibom’s busiest daily markets – the Akpan Andem Market in Uyo, the state capital.
But while the fire advanced, residents and traders said the closest emergency response unit, a fire station inside the market, could not respond.
The reason, according to multiple witnesses and fire service officials interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, is that there was no diesel to power the firefighting truck.
By the time federal firefighters eventually arrived hours later, traders, desperately fighting to put out the raging inferno, had formed human chains with buckets and basins. Residents fetched water from nearby homes. A hotel in the area supplied additional water. By then, millions of naira in goods had already been reduced to ashes.
“If not for the people in this street, this fire would have consumed far more shops in the market than this,” said Godwin Emmanuel, a phone and laptop repair technician, whose shop, luckily, was not destroyed by the fire.
Mr Emmanuel said he received a distress call shortly after 1 a.m. and raced about four kilometres from his house to the market, as public transportation was unavailable at night.
“When we called the fire service station inside the market, they told us the truck was working, but there was no diesel,” he said. “We called other places too, and heard the same thing. Help finally came after the chairman of Uyo Local Government contacted the federal fire service.”
PREMIUM TIMES visited the market around 11 a.m. on the day of the fire and observed smoke still emitting from several shops hours after the blaze was extinguished.
This newspaper counted at least eight container shops built along the market fence, which were completely razed. Another eight lock-up stores inside the market were severely damaged.
“Everything I had is gone”
Inside one of the burnt stores, palm oil still coated the floor in thick layers.
Utibe Udeme, who stored drums of palm oil in the shop, stood motionless beside the wreckage.
“I have lost over N12 million,” he said quietly. “I invested everything I had and even collected loans because of the expected returns later in the year. Now I am back to square one.”
Witnesses said the stored palm oil intensified the fire.
Nearby, Irene Edet sifted through charred bags of rice, burnt beans and blackened cartons of tomatoes.
“I recently got over N6 million to equip this shop,” she said. “There is nothing left to recover.”
She said she was informed about the fire during the night, but by the time she reached the market in the morning, her shop had already been destroyed.
“I asked how this could happen when there is no electricity in the market. They told me it was an electrical fault from another shop,” she said. “I am begging the government and the market leadership to help us.”
For Emah James, a food vendor, the losses went beyond merchandise.
“I lost the N50,000 I collected from my thrift contribution,” she said. “I buy rice and garri in bags for my business. Everything is gone.”
But beyond grief, many traders expressed anger.
Umoh Jeremiah, another victim, said no senior government official had visited them as of Tuesday afternoon, on the day of the fire incident.
“They are busy with elections, while people are suffering here,” he said. “We pay taxes every day in this market. Yet when an emergency happened, there was no emergency response.”
N40,000 shortage, millions in losses
When PREMIUM TIMES visited the fire station inside the market, officials confirmed they had received distress calls but could not deploy immediately due to fuel shortages.
“For over two months now, this station has not received even a drop of diesel,” an official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the incident.
The official, however, said the firefighting truck was functional.
“If we had diesel, not up to two shops would have been affected,” he said. “The incident happened within reach. We would have responded almost immediately.”
Using Google Earth, an open-source tool that allows distance measurement, measured the distance between the fire station and the fire outbreak site. It was 105.98 metres, about the distance of 10 buses parked end to end.
Measurement of the distance between the fire service station at Akpan Andem Market and the location of the fire outbreak
According to the official, less than 20 litres of diesel would have been sufficient for the emergency response because of the short distance between the station and the fire scene.
A survey of filling stations in Uyo found that diesel sold between N1,950 and N2,000 per litre. Twenty litres would, therefore, not be more than N40,000.
That amount, traders noted bitterly, might have prevented losses running into tens of millions of naira.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about emergency preparedness in Akwa Ibom State despite the state’s strong revenue profile and previous calls for improved emergency response.
In April last year, Akwa Ibom youths asked Governor Umo Eno’s administration to develop and implement a comprehensive state emergency response strategy after noting that the state lacked one.
Data obtained by PREMIUM TIMES from the spokesperson of the Akwa Ibom State Fire Service, Emmanuel Michael, indicates these concerns are becoming more urgent.
According to Mr Michael, the state has had 30 documented fire incidents between January and 20 May 2026.
The figure translates to an average of at least six documented fire outbreaks per month, highlighting mounting pressure on the state’s emergency response system and the need for sustained investment in fire prevention and rapid-response infrastructure.
Akwa Ibom is not a state gasping for resources that can deter its emergency response.
PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that Akwa Ibom received N397.51 billion into its coffers between January and March 2026. Within the same period, the state said it spent N201.73 billion.
A budget performance document reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES showed that N29.78 billion was spent on “other recurrent costs” during the quarter, a category that includes operational expenses such as fuel for government agencies.
However, Mr Eno’s administration has, for five consecutive quarters, failed to publish detailed expenditure breakdowns required under the state’s fiscal responsibility law, making it difficult to determine how much was allocated specifically to fire service operations.
“Only three functional trucks in the entire state”
At the headquarters of the Akwa Ibom State Fire Service in Uyo, a senior official painted an even grimmer picture.
The official, who requested anonymity for fear of government sanctions, told PREMIUM TIMES that only three firefighting trucks were functional across the entire state, all stationed within Uyo. Two were located at the headquarters, while one was at Akpan Andem market. He added that diesel shortages had become routine.
“Our diesel finished on Sunday after another firefighting operation,” the official said. “Most times, we rely on Hensek Group to assist us with diesel during emergencies.”
Hensek Group, a Uyo-based construction company, handles the majority of the Akwa Ibom State Government’s road contracts. Its owner, Uwem Okoko, is a close political ally of Mr Eno and heads the Umo Eno Campaign Organisation for the 2027 elections.
The fire service official said poor logistics have severely weakened emergency response capacity across the state.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Akwa Ibom State Fire Service, Mr Michael, confirmed that the service experienced a diesel shortage during the incident.
He said officials attempted unsuccessfully to source fuel during the night.
“Our people were looking for where to buy diesel but could not find enough because it was late,” he said. “I contacted the federal fire service. Even they initially said they did not have diesel until they later managed to get less than half of a 25-litre container.”
Mr Michael said additional diesel was later sourced through Hensek.
Asked whether the dependence on emergency fuel sourcing affected operational efficiency, he responded: “Such things happen.”
When PREMIUM TIMES insisted that it was aware of the agency’s underfunding and asked what his prayers to the government were, Mr Emmanuel acknowledged the concern.
“Since you have already made your findings and discovered that the agency has not been funded so well, the call is that we pray the government will be proactive to know that fire service is meant to save lives and property, and that emergency can occur at any time to anyone thus we should not run short of any amenities that can help us do our job,” he said.
Budget priorities and missing details
An examination of Akwa Ibom’s 2026 approved budget showed that the Ministry of Works and Fire Service received the state’s largest capital allocation — N416.2 billion.
Yet only three line items in the ministry’s capital projects directly relate to firefighting infrastructure: the procurement of two firefighting trucks for Uyo, the purchase of laboratory and safety equipment, and the installation of a fume cupboard expeller.
Together, the projects amount to N302.7 million.
However, a review of last year’s budget performance gives reason for cautious optimism. In 2025, the state budgeted N210 million for the same items. Senior officials at the fire service headquarters said such equipment had not been provided.
When our reporter contacted him, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Eno Ibanga, denied responsibility for current fire service operations, despite state law, specifically Volume III, Cap 55 of the Laws of Akwa Ibom State 2022, placing that duty on his office.
While the law mandates the commissioner to ensure efficient fire service response, Mr Ibanga claimed the agency is now overseen by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service.
PREMIUM TIMES found that the Commissioner for Works and Fire Service retains legal responsibility for these operations, and efforts to reach the Head of the Civil Service, Elsie Peters, for comment were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls, SMS, or WhatsApp messages from our reporter.
The newspaper, in its enquiry to the Head of Akwa Ibom Civil Service, asked about measures the state government has put in place to ensure emergency response readiness at major public facilities and markets, and if the government is considering an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire incident and the response delay.
Interestingly, an existing policy framework already contains proposals that address many of the gaps exposed by the Akpan Andem Market fire.
PREMIUM TIMES reviewed the proposed Akwa Ibom Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Response Policy Framework, a document designed to establish legislative and institutional structures for disaster preparedness and emergency response across the state.
The framework provides recommendations on fire prevention, emergency preparedness and response systems, public awareness campaigns, training, inspection and enforcement.
It also proposes regular inspections of public and private buildings to ensure compliance with fire codes and safety standards, while outlining coordination procedures among agencies such as the State Emergency Management Agency, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Red Cross during emergencies and multi-hazard disasters.
Government agencies and institutions that contributed recommendations to the framework include NEMA, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Ministry of Environment, the Fire Service Commission, the University of Uyo, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
Despite extensive consultations, the framework has yet to translate into visible institutional reforms.
‘No strong will to take action’
Elkanah Oluyori, executive director of the Clement Isong Foundation, said the organisation, with support from ActionAid Nigeria, consulted, drafted and submitted the draft framework to the Akwa Ibom State deputy governor, followed by sustained engagement with the government, but little progress has followed.
“The idea was to establish different response units with clearly defined responsibilities during emergencies,” Mr Oluyori said. “This is something that could have addressed the recent fire outbreaks we have had in different parts of the state.”
He said implementation efforts had remained slow.
“So far, the actions have been slow, and the commitment to change has not been strong enough,” he said. “Government needs to embrace the ideas shared because disasters happen suddenly. There should be a response structure and units that can immediately take the right decisions to avert loss of lives and property.”
Mr Oluyori identified weak political will as a major obstacle.
“I believe the will to take action is not very strong,” he added. “But with the increasing emergency situations, maybe the government will begin to look into it.”
PREMIUM TIMES contacted the office of the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akon Eyakenyi, for clarification on the status of the framework and measures being taken to strengthen disaster preparedness and emergency response systems in the state.
Omen Bassey, the press secretary to Mrs Eyakenyi, said the proposal from the Clement Isong Foundation was being reviewed against existing legislation at both the state and federal levels to avoid conflicts.
“I think the deputy governor is enthusiastic about it,” he said.
“Since it’s a legal framework, the advice of the Attorney General has to be sought and obtained.
“I know the state government is working towards further strengthening disaster preparedness and emergency response in the state. I don’t have the details, and I am not competent to speak on it.”
Illegal structures, shared blame
The Chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, Uwemedimo Udo, said preliminary findings suggested the fire started from makeshift structures erected near the market fence.
He said he contacted the federal fire service and police authorities during the incident and confirmed that Hensek Group also supported with some diesel.
The council chairman said the local council would work with the Uyo Capital City Development Authority to assess and, if necessary, demolish illegal structures around the market.
But when asked why the council had not supported the fire station with diesel despite generating daily revenue from traders through market tickets and rents, he said the fire station belonged to the state government.
“If you want their attention, call the people in charge, and they will respond,” he said.
Meanwhile, at Akpan Andem Market, traders who lost millions watched firefighters frantically search for diesel in the middle of the night in one of Nigeria’s highest-earning oil-producing states, a state that generated nearly N400 billion in three months, yet could not guarantee enough fuel for a truck stationed inside its busiest market.
And by Tuesday afternoon on the day of the fire, traders were still standing inside the ruins of their businesses, asking the same question: How many livelihoods could have been saved if the truck had moved when the first call came?
Climate change and its sweeping impact on human health are expected to feature prominently in discussions at the ongoing 31st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, as global health and climate funders mobilise more than $375 million to address climate-related health challenges.
The funding, announced at the opening of the conference on Monday, is expected to support efforts to ramp up adaptation and mitigation measures, particularly in vulnerable communities at the mercy of extreme heat, air pollution, climate-sensitive infectious diseases and other health risks linked to global warming.
The announcement comes amid fresh warnings from international climate and health pundits that rising global temperatures, worsening extreme weather events and soaring greenhouse gas concentrations are heaping unprecedented pressure on public health systems.
In Nigeria and several other countries worldwide, surging temperatures have fuelled public health concerns in recent years. The emergence of El Niño—a natural climate pattern marked by the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean —is also stoking worries among world leaders.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Climate Change, said the world is witnessing dangerous heat levels that expose hundreds of millions of people to extreme temperatures.
“As today’s important data from the WMO shows, the world is getting dangerously hot. Hundreds of millions of people are exposed to extreme heat across Southern Asia,” Mr Stiell said.
He said heatwaves during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer broke temperature records and killed an estimated 50,000 people across Europe.
According to him, climate change has evolved into a global health crisis, with consequences ranging from toxic air pollution and extreme heat to climate-related disasters that overwhelm health systems and critical infrastructure.
Climate crisis is a global health emergency
Mr Stiell identified the effects of rising temperatures on pregnancy, newborns and maternal health as another emerging health disaster linked to climate change.
He attributed the worsening situation to continued dependence on fossil fuels and deforestation, warning that the consequences are becoming increasingly dangerous for vulnerable populations.
“The impacts of rising heat on pregnancy, newborns and maternal health are another unfolding health disaster which has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it,” he said.
He added that health will remain central to COP31 discussions, guided by Türkiye and Australia, building on the progress made at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
The UN climate chief also highlighted the Climate & Health Funders Coalition, which he said has already awarded more than $200 million to back climate and health interventions before the latest funding announcement.
Mr Stiell said practical solutions, including electrification and the transition to clean energy, are crucial to reducing climate-related health risks and the economic pressures associated with fossil fuel dependence.
He urged governments to accelerate the transition to cleaner energy, warning that continued reliance on fossil fuels will expose households, businesses and governments, including health systems, to soaring costs.
WMO: Global temperatures set to rise further
Also speaking, Celeste Saulo, the secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said the organisation’s State of the Climate Update 2026 presented fresh evidence of an accelerating climate crisis.
She remarked that the past 12 years have been the warmest on record, while the past four years, including 2026, are the four warmest years recorded.
According to her, the global average temperature between January and September 2026 was approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
Ms Saulo observed that temperatures could rise further before the end of the year due to a strong El Niño event, adding that its greatest impact on global temperatures is likely to be felt in 2027.
She said the current El Niño is unusually strong, with forecasts indicating that sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific could approach four times the threshold used by the WMO to declare an El Niño event between November 2026 and January 2027.
The WMO chief also disclosed other alarming indicators, including ocean heat touching a record high for the tenth year in a row and sea levels jumping to unprecedented levels.
She said rising sea levels are increasing the risks facing approximately 900 million people living along low-lying coastal areas.
Ms Saulo added that millions of people experienced dangerous heat in 2026, contributing to tens of thousands of excess deaths in Europe alone, while India, Pakistan and large parts of Asia and North America also experienced severe heatwaves.
She further cited devastating floods in parts of South America and Africa, droughts across parts of Asia, the Pacific and Central America, and catastrophic high-mountain disasters in China and Nepal.
Despite the worsening situation, she said progress is being made in strengthening early warning systems.
According to her, the number of countries reporting multi-hazard early warning systems increased from 56 in 2015 to 136 in 2025.
She urged governments at COP31 to prioritise sustained investments in climate observations, data systems and early warning infrastructure.
“We cannot afford to fly blind,” she said, stressing the need for urgent decisions and funding to address the growing climate threat.
Wellcome: Coalition awards over $225m in first year
Similarly, Alan Dangour, director of climate and health at Wellcome, said the latest WMO climate assessment demonstrates the magnitude of the threat posed by rising greenhouse gas concentrations, record-breaking temperatures, melting sea ice and rising sea levels.
He said the effects of climate change are increasingly being felt by people across the world, yet human health remains insufficiently prioritised in international climate negotiations.
“At Wellcome, we focus on people – on human health. And we’re working night and day to bring the health and wellbeing of people into rooms like this and the big negotiating rooms out there so that the impact of climate change on people finally takes its place at the climate change table,” he said.
Mr Dangour cited findings from the Lancet Countdown annual report, which Wellcome funds, estimating that fossil fuel-related air pollution and extreme heat contribute to more than three million deaths annually.
He also noted that extreme drought affected nearly 52 per cent of the world’s land for at least one month in 2025, the second-highest level on record.
According to him, drought and changing groundwater conditions are worsening food insecurity and sanitation challenges, with significant implications for public health.
However, he said several proven interventions could help curtail the health burden of climate change.
These include cleaner energy, electrification, heat early warning systems and broader adaptation measures, which he said could prevent deaths and reduce healthcare costs.
READ ALSO: COP31 opens in Türkiye with focus on climate finance, implementation
On the coalition’s funding efforts, Mr Dangour said Wellcome has joined forces with more than 35 philanthropic organisations to establish the Climate & Health Funders Coalition at COP30 in Belém, with an initial joint commitment of $300 million.
He announced that the coalition awarded more than $225 million in its first year to support interventions addressing extreme heat, air pollution, climate-sensitive infectious diseases and data systems.
The coalition also attracted an additional $150 million in commitments from new and existing funders, bringing the total funding mobilised to more than $375 million.
Mr Dangour called on governments and businesses to strengthen their responses to climate-related health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, outdoor workers and older people.
He also highlighted the need for policies to protect pregnant women and newborns from extreme heat exposure.
At the Pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji, he said Wellcome and its partners launched a global call to action seeking improved health guidelines, information, plans and data to protect pregnant women from extreme heat.
He urged governments to put human health and wellbeing at the centre of climate action, arguing that the success of climate negotiations should be measured not only by emissions reductions and temperature targets but also by lives saved and improved health outcomes.
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