Fire guts Nigeria's biggest arts, craft village

Fire guts Nigeria
# 16 December 2017 22:28 (UTC +04:00)

Scores of artworks were destroyed after a wildfire gutted the Abuja Arts and Craft Village, the biggest of its kind in Nigeria, local officials confirmed on Saturday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Dozens of shops were also consumed by the fire late Friday in the Nigerian capital, said Kanayo Chimezie, president of the African Arts and Cultural Heritage Association.

Chimezie said the cause of the late night fire was yet to be ascertained.

According to him, artworks and shops worth more than 1.1 million U.S. dollars were lost in the incident due to the late arrival of fire fighters.

Most of the artworks were newly made, particularly for yuletide sales, the arts and cultural association chief said.

Kennedy Idowu, one of the shop owners in the arts and craft village, said he lost all his wares to the fire.

Early September, the Abuja Arts and Craft Village hosted Africa's largest arts and craft exhibition.

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