Finance Ministry clears air on fire incident

It was learnt that the fire emanated from an exploded battery which then affected other batteries — about 10 to 16 batteries in all.

The Federal Ministry of Finance has clarified that its building was not razed by fire as widely reported on social media Wednesday morning.

The ministry made the clarification in a statement, shortly after the news went viral online.

“Rather there was an incident on the corridor in the basement involving an isolated battery pack and it was quickly put out by the security personnel on duty,” said Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi, the Finance, Budget and National Planning Minister’s aide on media and communication.

It had earlier been reported that a small section of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, was scorched by fire.

BusinessDay had also stated that the fire was started by an inverter battery located at the basement of the building, where the fire was contained.

Onyinye Nwachukwu

Onyinye Nwachukwu is the Abuja Bureau Chief of BusinessDay, overseeing coverage across Abuja and Northern Nigeria. With more than two decades of experience in economic and financial journalism, she reports on business, policy, and market trends, linking local developments to the global economy. A fellow of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and recipient of the P. Vishwanathan Memorial Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism, she is known for her insightful storytelling and interviews with senior policymakers, diplomats, and business leaders. Well traveled and globally minded, Onyinye brings depth and international perspective to her reporting.