Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Samuel Adeyemi Olumode (m).
By Victoria Onehi
The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service Samuel Adeyemi Olumode, has launched a full scale enlightenment campaign on why every Nigerian should replace wishful thinking with practical action to ensure fire safety.
The Controller-General disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the 2025 National Fire Safety Week held at the Federal Fire Service Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Olumode said: “For decades we have observed a common but dangerous attitude: the belief that fire disasters only happen to others. 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.
“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.” Olumode noted.
He said during this Fire Safety Week, Fire Service officers across the federation will conduct school safety enlightenment programmes, market inspections, community drills, industrial risk assessments, and public demonstrations on fire prevention and emergency response.
While urging people to incorporate safety designs into building plans, the CG promised to deploy technology for early detection of fire as well as improve on the response time.
The Controller General disclosed that he will radically reform the service to provide the right level of safety cover for firemen as required by the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
“Under the clear, progressive, and creative guidance of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Federal Fire Service under my leadership will continue to modernise operations. 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.”Olumode said.
The Chairman of the organising Committee, National Safety Week, 2025, ACG Bolarin Mohammed outlined the activities for the week to include stakeholders engagement sessions, National outreach initiatives amongst others.
Highpoint of the event was presentation of Bank cheques to eleven next-of-kins of the fallen heroes through the insurance scheme.
While presenting the cheques,Assistant Controller General Gafar in charge of Special Duties Kolawale Arogundade said the firefighters carried out their calling with courage, commitment and dedication with profound sense of duty.”As a matter of fact, no amount of money can replace the life lost,it is however our hope that whatever we are going to do today,will provide some comfort.
“It is worthy of note that it is part of the welfare structure of the Federal Fire Service that every serving Federal Fire Service officer is covered under key insurance policy to help provide comfort in an unfortunate circumstance of accident, injury or death while in active service.We will continue to strengthen our insurance and welfare system to ensure that the family of any fallen office is not left without support.”
The opening ceremony features the lecture on the theme Culture of Fire Safety Across Nigeria: Overcoming the ‘Not My Portion’ Mentality,” to inspire participants to rise to the occasion in line with the Service’s mandate for the week.
