Aleshinloye market is one of the biggest markets in Ibadan, Western Nigeria. It sits just at the centre of the city, and it attracts visitors from far and wide. On the 11th of March, 2025, around midnight, a little fire started in one of the shops at the market, and soon, an entire section of the market was engulfed in fire.

As it is often the case in Nigeria, the course of the fire was never fully investigated. However, it is telling that only a minute or two away from the section of the market that was engulfed in fire, there was a fire station. Sadly, it was reported that they had no water to put out the fire. As a result, the fire raged throughout the night, as shop owners and empathetic strangers drawn to the scene did the little they could to put out the fire with buckets of water. Proper professional help didn’t arrive until morning, at which time, fire had razed much of the plastic section.

This photo essay explores the aftermath of the fire incident, and it seeks to draw attention to the need for urgent government intervention and investment in emergency services in Nigeria.