Dozens of herbal traders in Ibadan are counting heavy losses after an early morning fire swept through sections of the popular Bode Market in the Ibadan South West Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The blaze, which broke out before daybreak, tore through rows of wooden stalls and makeshift structures, destroying stocks of medicinal herbs, roots, animal skins and other traditional products for which the market is renowned. Traders said goods worth millions of naira were lost within minutes as flames raced from one shop to another.

Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene as shop owners rushed from nearby homes after being alerted by phone calls and shouts from night guards. Many arrived to find their shops already engulfed, with thick smoke billowing over the market and surrounding streets.

One trader, who identified herself simply as Serifat, said the fire spread so quickly that there was little anyone could do before firefighters arrived. She said the blaze caused extensive damage and left many traders devastated, adding that no one at the scene could immediately explain how the fire started.

Fire service personnel were eventually deployed to the market and battled the flames, managing to contain the inferno before it spread to adjoining sections of the sprawling complex. Their intervention prevented what could have been an even larger disaster in one of Ibadan’s busiest commercial hubs.

Bode Market is regarded as one of the largest traditional markets in the Ibadan metropolis and a major centre for the trade in herbs, animal hides and other indigenous products. It attracts buyers and sellers from across Oyo State, the wider South-West region and other parts of Nigeria, many of whom rely on the market for their livelihoods.

The incident has renewed concerns over fire safety in crowded urban markets, where congested layouts, poor electrical wiring and limited access routes often hamper emergency response. Traders are calling on local authorities to improve basic infrastructure, including water supply points, fire extinguishers and clear escape routes, to reduce the risk of future disasters.

As investigations into the cause of the fire continue, affected shop owners are left to salvage what little remains of their businesses, facing an uncertain future in a market that has once again been scarred by flames.