The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said the Federal Government is transforming the Federal Fire Service from a traditional firefighting agency into a comprehensive emergency and rescue service as part of efforts to strengthen national fire safety and emergency response.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed this while speaking at the national opening ceremony of the 2026 National Fire Safety Week, themed, “Building a Fire-Resilient Nigeria: One Community at a Time.”
He said the transformation was part of the reforms being implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, adding that the government was repealing the outdated Fire Service Act of 1963 and had introduced the Federal Fire and Rescue Service Bill before the National Assembly.
According to him, the proposed legislation, when passed, would provide the legal framework for greater operational flexibility, innovation and efficiency, while creating opportunities for private sector participation in the country’s fire and rescue operations.
Highlighting the achievements recorded by the service, the minister disclosed that fire officers responded to 136 incidents nationwide in August alone, rescued 119 people without recording any fatality, and preserved assets valued at N23 billion.
He added that the average emergency response time had been reduced to 15 minutes and 22 seconds, describing the development as evidence of improved operational capacity.
On infrastructure development, Tunji-Ojo said construction of the modern National Fire Academy in Sheda, Kwali, Abuja, was more than 85 per cent complete.
He explained that the academy, when completed, would operate entirely on solar energy, feature automated simulation facilities and accommodate 3,000 trainees at a time.
The minister further disclosed that an additional 13 hectares of land had been secured, expanding the academy’s total landmass to 23 hectares and providing space for a specialised institute dedicated to the professional development of paramilitary officers.
On equipment and operational readiness, he said the government had deployed more than 10 new firefighting trucks, 450 drums of chemical foam, over 2,000 specialised protective tunics and 300 breathing apparatus sets to strengthen the capacity and safety of frontline personnel.
Tunji-Ojo also highlighted improvements in personnel welfare, revealing that nearly 100,000 promotions had been implemented across the country’s paramilitary services between 2023 and 2026.
He said field commands had increased threefold, from six to 18, while lifetime pension coverage had been secured for retired Controllers General and Deputy Controllers General.
The minister stressed that building a fire-resilient nation required collective responsibility, noting that government institutions, businesses, communities and individuals all had critical roles to play in preventing fire outbreaks.
As part of efforts to deepen public awareness, he said the government had unveiled the 2026 National Fire Safety Week logo alongside multilingual fire safety booklets designed to make safety education more accessible to households and businesses across the country.
He said the materials would provide practical information and actionable safety guidelines in local languages, thereby encouraging Nigerians to embrace fire prevention as a daily responsibility.
Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed that the initiatives were anchored on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, expressing the government’s commitment to building a modern, efficient and professionally equipped Federal Fire and Rescue Service capable of protecting lives and property across the country.
