FFS: Tinubu ‘ll make Federal Fire and Rescue Service Act a actuality quickly – Minister

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has mentioned extra vitality have to be deployed into fireplace inspection and code implementation by the personnel of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), at the same time as he advocated for volunteers as Fire Marshals throughout the nation.

The Minister mentioned the hearth service is the core accountability of presidency, to guard lives and property, therefore the Service should change into a rescue service, undertake workable rescue methods and  information.

Speaking Monday in Abuja on the 2026 National Fire Safety Week, with the theme: “Building a Fire-Resilient Nigeria: One Community at a Time”, Tunji-Ojo mentioned it’s excessive time to “build a society where rescue service becomes a part of our being, a part of our person, a part of what we live, what we eat, what we breathe.”

According to him, in different elements of the world, the core accountability of fireside service, past containing fireplace, has to cope with, after all, fireplace suppression and management, which is what we do right here. It’s just one out of 20, greater than 20 duties of fireside service. When you go to the U.S. and also you name your ambulance, it’s the fireplace service that rescues.

“So we should dedicate vitality into fireplace inspection and code implementation. That is the place the hearth marshals should come into play, that are largely volunteers who must be marshals in each district, in each ward, in each city, each village. Because the core accountability of presidency is to guard lives and property.

“It implies that fireplace service is the core accountability of presidency, to guard lives and property. And after all, problem of public schooling. We must discover a method through which rescue service and rescue methods, information, know-how turns into a key ingredient of our curriculum in any respect ranges.

“We want to see Federal Fire Service play a more prominent role in terms of any emergency investigation. Then, of course, organisation and structure. Federal fire service must come and play a role of more like the Chair of Council of fire and rescue service.”

While promising that President Tinubu will give Nigerians a brand new regulation – Federal Fire and Rescue Service, Tunji-Ojo mentioned “ou can not have a Fire Service Act of 1963 and also you assume it is going to be efficient in 2026.

“It doesn’t make sense. And if the regulation doesn’t provide the energy to do sure issues, it makes the job of this males in uniform not possible to do.

“And for the primary time in 63 years, this President took the bull by the horn. And as I converse to you, I believe we’ve completed defending it. It needs to be laid this week, Thursday, on the degree of the federal capability.

“So with this new law, we are repealing what used to be the Federal Fire Service Act. And what the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is bringing on board is Federal Fire and Rescue Service.”

While commending the present management of FFS beneath Controller General Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, the Minister mentioned when the present administration got here onboard, the common rescue time for fireplace incidents was about between 32 to 35 minutes however as of August 2026, the rescue time has lowered to fifteen minutes, 22 seconds.

“As of August this year, across the country, we had a total of 136 fire incidents. We were able to save 119 lives and zero lives lost to fire.”

Speaking earlier, the FFS CG Adeyemi mentioned the National Fire Safety Week stays one of many Federal Fire Service’s flagship public consciousness initiatives which supplies a possibility to coach Nigerians on fireplace prevention, promote protected practices and strengthen public participation in lowering fireplace incidents throughout the nation.

“As part of this year’s activities, fire safety awareness campaigns will be conducted simultaneously across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The week-long programme will include sensitisation at motor parks, schools and markets, followed by roadshows and the distribution of fire safety fliers.”

According to him, the Federal Fire Service continues to strengthen its operational capability via personnel improvement, improved emergency response and strategic partnerships. Our method recognises that efficient fireplace security requires cooperation amongst authorities establishments, company Nigeria, communities, the non-public sector and people.

“It is on this observe that we’re glad to report that, via our partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), we’re working in the direction of strengthening fireplace security infrastructure in public tertiary establishments. Our collaboration with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) is aimed toward increasing fireplace service presence in all of the native governments in Nigeria, whereas our partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation helps efforts to enhance firefighting preparedness amongst unusual Nigerians. We are additionally pursuing the event of mini fireplace outposts to convey emergency response companies nearer to communities.

When all of that is achieved, we might have fulfilled our dream of democratising the Federal Fire Service in Nigeria.”

He additionally known as on well-meaning Nigerians from all walks of life, philanthropists, company organisations, neighborhood associations, builders and different improvement companions to emulate what he described as “commendable efforts”, saying supporting fireplace security infrastructure is an funding within the safety of lives, property and livelihoods.