• Recording studio burnt to ashes in 12-hour inferno
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
For more than seven decades, the iconic Muhammadu Ladan House stood as a symbol of public broadcasting in Northern Nigeria, surviving political transitions, technological revolutions and the changing fortunes of the media industry.
But in one devastating day, the historic structure was reduced to a smoking shell as a raging inferno burned uninterrupted for nearly 12 hours.
The fire, which engulfed the old headquarters of the Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC), started around 8:00 a.m. and continued until about 8:00 p.m., leaving one of Nigeria’s oldest broadcasting facilities badly damaged and its recording studios completely destroyed.
Although no life was lost, the emotional scars remain fresh for workers who watched helplessly as flames consumed part of the institution that has shaped generations of broadcasters since the 1950s.
According to the management, “The fire incident at the Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC) complex occurred on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. The outbreak temporarily disrupted the corporation’s radio and television broadcast services.
“Parts of the complex were affected, and transmissions went off air temporarily for damage assessment and restoration. No lives were lost. Kaduna State Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe visited the site on the same day for an on-the-spot assessment alongside emergency responders”.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 29, during a sympathy visit by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, Executive Director, Television Services, Malam Zakari Aliyu, who represented the Managing Director of KSMC, Mr. Ben Kure, described the incident as one of the most painful moments in the corporation’s history.
“Honestly speaking, I cannot express our feelings because in times like this, it is only people who truly matter in your life that recognise what you are passing through. We really appreciate this visit and your support,” Aliyu said.
He recalled the terrifying hours when firefighters battled unsuccessfully to contain the blaze inside the aging structure.
“That fire incident started, I think, from 8:00 in the morning; it lasted up to 8:00 in the evening. The Federal Fire Service, the State Fire Service and Kaduna South Local Government all came and did everything possible.
“But because of the nature of the old building, access was very difficult. The smoke prevented free access, and they had to seek approval to break some of the walls before they could extinguish the fire.” Even after the flames appeared subdued, the danger had not passed.
“The next day, around 11:00 a.m., there was fire again in that place. But we thank God that no life was lost.”
While the inferno spared the corporation’s operational radio and television transmission facilities, the recording studio was completely wiped out.
“All the arms of the radio” Kada FM and the AM station were not affected. Even the television facilities were safe. It is the recording studio that got burnt. Everything there is gone.”
The destroyed structure represents far more than bricks and mortar. The original broadcasting infrastructure traces its roots to the former Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), established in the 1950s before evolving into today’s Kaduna State Media Corporation.
Over the decades, Muhammadu Ladan House became a training ground for some of Nigeria’s finest broadcasters and journalists.
Ironically, the corporation had already begun plans to vacate the aging complex before disaster struck.
According to Aliyu, Governor Uba Sani had repeatedly urged management to relocate to KSMC’s newly completed digital broadcasting complex.
However, the transition stalled because vital broadcasting equipment had remained locked inside shipping containers for more than four years over contractual issues.
“Broadcasting is practical; it is not theoretical. There is no way personnel can move while our equipment remains inside containers. The equipment has been there for over four years.”
Following the fire, however, management has accelerated the relocation.
“We are moving finally. Both television and radio sections will relocate here because there is mounting pressure to move, and by the grace of God, more than half of the personnel are already here.”
Aliyu described the new broadcasting complex as one capable of competing with the world’s leading television networks.
“If this structure is finally commissioned, I think in the whole of Africa we don’t have studios of this nature. The facilities are state-of-the-art. They can compete with what is obtainable in Al Jazeera and CNN.”
He also praised Governor Uba Sani for responding swiftly to the disaster despite being outside Kaduna when the fire broke out.
Aliyu disclosed that government officials, including members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Information, had since inspected the damage and requested an assessment report.
“The damage is beyond the capacity of the agency to fix. We have submitted our immediate needs to government, and we are hopeful that very soon we will see light at the end of the tunnel.”
Leading the NUJ delegation, Kaduna State Council Chairman, Alhaji Abdulgafar Alabelewe, described KSMC as one of the pillars upon which journalism in Kaduna State has been built.
“If there is no KSMC, then the Kaduna State Council of the NUJ will just be standing on one leg. KSMC has produced former council chairmen and some of our finest leaders. Whatever happens to KSMC affects us as a council.”
He said the union considered it necessary to identify with the corporation despite the delayed visit.
“In moments of grief and moments of happiness, we have to be with KSMC. No matter how late, it is important for us to come and sympathize with the management and staff.”
Beyond lamenting the destruction of the pioneer complex, Alabelewe urged the preservation of the old media house because of its historical significance.
He also commended the management for prioritising staff welfare while expressing optimism that the corporation’s new ultra-modern headquarters would soon be commissioned.
“We are eager to witness the formal commissioning of this building because it is not just gigantic; in terms of equipment and facilities, it is supposed to be one of the very best studios in the country.”
(The Sun)