By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The Federal Government has called on wealthy Nigerians, philanthropists, business leaders and corporate organisations to invest in establishing fire stations across the country, declaring that firefighting is the responsibility of everyone.
Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Adeyemi Samuel Olumode, gave the charge at a One-Day National Stakeholders’ Summit on Fire Safety, held on Thursday in Abuja.
The Service also inducted 37 Public Relations Officers PROs drawn from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory FCT into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations NIPR.
Adeyemi, who spoke under the theme “Building a Resilient Fire Service for the 21st Century,” said Nigeria needed a multiplicity of strategically located fire stations to bring emergency response closer to communities and reduce response time.
He cited the Offa Descendant Association Fire Station, Oyo Town Fire Station, Idanre Fire Station, Bonny Island Fire Station and Kugbo Fire Station as examples of what could be achieved when individuals, communities and organisations invested directly in the safety of their people, describing such gestures as an investment in lives and property rather than mere philanthropy.
The Controller General noted that the summit also marked exactly one year since he assumed office on 14 August 2025, an anniversary he said provided an opportunity to reflect on the Service’s achievements over the past year rather than a deliberate coincidence.
He listed some of these achievements to include the rehabilitation of 40 firefighting appliances, the supply of two modern firefighting appliances and over 2,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, as well as the training of more than 700 cadet officers in basic firefighting, who have since been deployed across commands.
Adeyemi said the Service had also strengthened specialised capacity through counter-terrorism training in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser ONSA and the armed forces, alongside ongoing upgrades to the National Fire Academy, which he said would become the best in Africa for training firefighters once reopened.
On the induction of the PROs, the Controller General described the exercise as historic, being the first time officers from the 36 states and the FCT had been brought together for a coordinated and structured training programme toward professional recognition and certification.
“This is much more than issuing certificates. We are professionalising the way the Federal Fire Service communicates with Nigerians. Our PROs must understand strategic communication, crisis communication, media relations, stakeholder engagement, public education, reputation management and the challenges created by misinformation, particularly during emergencies,” he said.
He added that a fire incident is not only an operational occurrence but also a communication one, stressing that public trust remained central to the Service’s ability to protect lives and property.
Adeyemi commended the Tertiary Education Trust Fund TETFund for its collaboration on fire safety in tertiary institutions, as well as the Tony Elumelu Foundation for partnering with the Service on fire safety preparedness training for 7,740 ordinary Nigerians, with a target of reaching 10 persons in every local government area.
He also appreciated the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and Rightangle PR for supporting the Service’s professional communication capacity, alongside government and private-sector partners and members of the media.
The Controller General called on the public to play its part during emergencies by giving fire appliances a clear path, keeping unnecessary crowds away, and sharing verified information with responders.
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