FFS CG urges integration of fire safety into national security architecture

The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, has called for the integration of fire safety into Nigeria’s national security architecture. He made this call when delivering his address at the opening ceremony of the 2025 National Fire Safety Week held at the FFS headquarters in Abuja on Monday. “We must […]

The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, has called for the integration of fire safety into Nigeria’s national security architecture.
He made this call when delivering his address at the opening ceremony of the 2025 National Fire Safety Week held at the FFS headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
“We must begin to see more functional fire hydrants on our streets, deliberate integration of fire safety into national security architecture, and the restoration of the pride of place of Fire Services across Nigeria.
“This behavioural shift—individually and collectively—is what will shape the new Nigeria we envision: a nation where no life is lost to preventable fire incidents,” he said.
Adeyemi said the FFS under his leadership will continue to modernize operations, adding that, “We will deploy technology for early detection to improve response time, strengthen our personnel through improved welfare and focused, contemporary capacity-building, and deepen nationwide community engagement.
“We shall radically reform the Service to provide the right level of safety cover required for the realisation of the President’s one-trillion-naira economic base plan”.
Rolling out activities during the Fire Safety Week, the CG said officers across the federation would conduct school safety enlightenment programmes, market inspections, community drills, industrial risk assessments, and public demonstrations on fire prevention and emergency response.
He charged Nigerians to dump the belief that fire disasters only happen to others, adding that, “This mindset—often summarised as ‘it is not my portion’—has encouraged complacency in homes, markets, offices, and public spaces.
“The truth, however, is that fires do not discriminate. They obey only the laws of science and negligence, and when they occur, the consequences are often devastating, irreversible, and monumental.

“This year, our message is simple: Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility. We must replace wishful thinking with practical action—incorporating safety designs into building plans, checking gas cylinders, switching off electrical appliances when not in use, installing smoke detectors, ensuring clear escape routes, and adhering strictly to safety standards.”