Fire Service Records 136 Incidents, Rescues 119 Persons in August – Tunji-Ojo
By Matthew Eloyi
The Federal Fire Service responded to 136 fire incidents and rescued 119 persons across the country in August 2026, with no fatalities recorded, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed.
Tunji-Ojo said the service also protected assets valued at ₦23 billion during the period, while reducing its average emergency response time to 15 minutes and 22 seconds.
The minister disclosed this in a Facebook post following his participation in the national opening ceremony of the 2026 National Fire Safety Week, themed, “Building a Fire-Resilient Nigeria: One Community at a Time.”
He described the theme as a reminder that fire safety is a collective responsibility requiring the commitment of government, communities, businesses and individuals.
The minister said the Federal Government was implementing far-reaching reforms to reposition the Federal Fire Service from a conventional firefighting agency into a comprehensive emergency and rescue service.
According to him, the administration of President Bola Tinubu is pursuing the repeal of the outdated Fire Service Act of 1963 and has introduced the Federal Fire and Rescue Service Bill before the National Assembly.
He explained that the proposed legislation, when passed, would provide the necessary legal framework for improved operational flexibility, innovation and efficiency, while creating opportunities for private sector participation in fire and emergency response services.
Tunji-Ojo said the reforms were already producing measurable results, citing improved emergency response capacity, personnel welfare and investment in modern firefighting infrastructure.
He disclosed that construction work on the National Fire Academy in Sheda, Kwali, Abuja, had reached over 85 per cent completion.
The academy, he said, would be powered entirely by solar energy and equipped with automated simulation environments, with the capacity to accommodate 3,000 trainees at a time.
He added that an additional 13 hectares of land had been secured, bringing the academy’s total landmass to 23 hectares and providing space for a dedicated institute for the professional development of paramilitary officers.
On operational capacity, the minister revealed that the government had deployed more than 10 new firefighting trucks, 450 drums of chemical foam, over 2,000 specialised protective tunics and 300 sets of breathing apparatus to strengthen the service’s response capabilities and protect frontline personnel.
He also highlighted improvements in personnel welfare, disclosing that nearly 100,000 promotions had been undertaken across the country’s paramilitary services between 2023 and 2026.
According to him, the number of field commands has increased threefold, from six to 18, while lifetime pension coverage has been secured for retired Controllers General and Deputy Controllers General.
As part of efforts to promote a nationwide culture of fire prevention, Tunji-Ojo said the government had unveiled the 2026 National Fire Safety Week logo and introduced multilingual fire safety booklets.
He explained that the educational materials were designed to make fire safety information more accessible to households and businesses by providing practical guidance in local languages.
The minister maintained that the initiatives were anchored on President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reflected the administration’s determination to build a modern, responsive and professionally equipped Federal Fire and Rescue Service.
He stressed that strengthening fire prevention, emergency response and public awareness remained essential to protecting lives, property and communities across Nigeria.
