By our reporter
A few days after fire razed shops and goods estimated at multi-millions of Naira at Iweka Road, by Ochanja Market, Onitsha, another inferno today, March 28, gutted the multi-billion Naira Main Market in the ancient commercial hub.
Wikipedia describes Onitsha Main Market as “the largest market in Africa based on geographical size and volume of goods.”
The fire, which was said to have started at a building about 6:20am, quickly spread to a nearby building even as its cause was yet unknown.
Main Market is governed by one of the most revered traders’ associations in Africa, Onitsha Market Traders Association (OMATA).
As the fire raged, sympathetic passers-by, residents and Anambra State Fire Service personnel were spotted trying to salvage whatever items they could from the buildings.
Head of Media and Publicity Unit of the State Fire Service, Mr Chukwudi Chiketa, confirmed the incident, imploring members of the public to remain calm as the agency’s personnel battle to quench the fire.
His words: “Anambra State Fire Service is currently on intervention at the scene of the fire outbreak at Ifejika Street, by Sokoto Road, Onitsha.
“The distress call came at 0620am today, and our firefighters deployed immediately.”
Main Market is regarded as so strategic that most big-time importers in Eastern Nigeria have their head offices located within the market.
The volume of business is such that the average trader in the area is known to import a minimum of six consignments of 40 tonnes (40-feet containers) of goods annually with others even doing over 200 consignments of 40 tonnes of goods yearly.
Items on sale in the market are varied, but include jewelry, clothing, household materials, industrial, and office equipment.
Customers arrive the market from across Nigeria as well as other African countries such as Gabon, Congo DR, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroun, Namibia, Mozambique, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Gambia and others.
There are also customers from some South-East Asian nations and few South American countries.
