The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has commended the Federal Fire Service (FFS) for its strides in personnel development, operational capacity and fire safety management, while the FFS Controller-General, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, called for the establishment of more strategically located fire stations across the country.
Tunji-Ojo and Adeyemi spoke on Friday in Abuja at a one-day National Stakeholders’ Summit on Fire Safety, held alongside the induction of FFS Public Relations Officers from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
The summit, themed “Building a Resilient Fire Service for the 21st Century,” brought together stakeholders to discuss improved fire prevention, emergency response, professional communication and stronger partnerships in fire safety management.
Represented by the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, General Jibril Abdulmalik, the minister said the achievements recorded by the FFS reflected improved leadership and commitment to institutional development.
He listed the promotion of 2,620 officers, training and induction of more than 700 cadets and firefighters, rehabilitation of over 40 firefighting appliances and utility vehicles, as well as expanded partnerships in fire safety as notable milestones.
Tunji-Ojo also congratulated the newly inducted FFS PROs, urging them to uphold accuracy, professionalism, discipline and integrity in their communication with the public.
He charged the officers to build confidence in the Service by presenting its achievements truthfully while acknowledging its challenges, particularly during emergencies.
Adeyemi, in his remarks, said Nigeria’s rapid urbanisation, industrial expansion and increasingly complex infrastructure had created new fire risks that required a broader approach to fire safety.
He said the country needed to move beyond emergency response to a system built around prevention, early detection, effective response, recovery and learning from previous incidents.
The Controller-General stressed the importance of establishing more fire stations in strategic locations to bring emergency services closer to communities and reduce response time.
He urged individuals, philanthropists, corporate organisations and business leaders capable of supporting such projects to emulate existing initiatives, including fire stations established through community and private-sector interventions in Offa, Oyo, Idanre, Bonny Island and Kugbo.
Adeyemi said investment in fire stations should be seen not simply as philanthropy but as an investment in the protection of lives, property and communities.
He also highlighted the FFS partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to strengthen fire safety preparedness and compliance in tertiary institutions.
According to him, another partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation has provided fire safety preparedness training for 7,740 Nigerians, with plans to expand the programme to reach 10 people in every local government area.
The initiative, he said, was aimed at making fire safety a collective responsibility rather than one left exclusively to emergency responders.
Marking his first anniversary as FFS Controller-General, Adeyemi said the Service had recorded significant progress since he assumed office on August 14, 2025.
He said the FFS had improved staff welfare through enhanced access to medical intervention, interest-free loans, support for families of deceased personnel, promotions and attention to outstanding entitlements.
He disclosed that 40 firefighting appliances had been rehabilitated, while two modern appliances and more than 2,000 personal protective equipment had been provided to personnel.
Adeyemi added that the National Fire Academy was undergoing development and upgrading to international standards, expressing optimism that the facility would become one of Africa’s leading centres for training firefighters and emergency-response personnel when reopened.
On manpower development, he said more than 700 cadet officers had completed basic firefighting training and had been deployed to different commands.
He added that specialised training, including counter-terrorism programmes, had also been strengthened through collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Armed Forces and other relevant institutions.
Adeyemi described the induction of FFS PROs into the NIPR as a major milestone, saying it would help establish a coordinated and professional communication framework across the Service.
He said the programme was designed to equip the officers with skills in strategic and crisis communication, media relations, stakeholder engagement, public education, reputation management and combating misinformation.
According to him, every fire incident presents not only an operational challenge but also a communication challenge.
“A fire incident is not only an operational incident; it is also a communication incident,” he said.
He disclosed that the FFS would also unveil a Public Relations Officers Badge as part of efforts to strengthen professionalism, accountability and responsibility in official communication.
The Controller-General urged Nigerians to support emergency responders by keeping access routes clear for fire trucks, avoiding unnecessary crowds at incident scenes, providing useful information to firefighters and sharing only verified information.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Interior for their support and confidence in his leadership, attributing the progress recorded by the Service to the collective efforts of its personnel, the Federal Government and stakeholders.
Adeyemi said stronger partnerships, improved public trust and professional communication would be critical to building a safer and more resilient Nigeria.
“Every fire we prevent is a potential life saved. Every community we educate becomes safer. Every partnership we build increases our collective capacity. Every professional we train strengthens our institution. And every credible message we communicate helps to build public trust,” he said.