The Federal Fire Service, in partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), has launched a national capacity-building initiative to train 7,400 Nigerians on fire safety and awareness. The programme will cover all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, aiming to strengthen community-level fire prevention and emergency preparedness.
The collaboration was formalized during a high-level engagement between the Federal Fire Service and Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Chairman of Heirs Holdings and United Bank for Africa (UBA). The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Samuel Adeyemi Olumode, led a delegation of senior management officers to the meeting.
As part of the initiative, Mr. Peter Ashade, Group CEO of United Capital Plc, was inaugurated as a National Fire Safety Ambassador in recognition of the Heirs Group’s contributions to advancing safety consciousness and community-focused fire prevention efforts nationwide.
Under the programme, 200 participants in each state and the FCT will be trained in essential fire-prevention skills, early warning practices, and basic emergency response procedures. Graduates will also serve as fire safety advocates in their communities, creating a multiplier effect that promotes vigilance and responsible safety behaviour across Nigeria.
Peter O. Abraham, Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service, emphasized that personnel would be deployed across infrastructures under Mr. Elumelu’s business portfolio to support compliance, strengthen safety monitoring, and enhance fire prevention awareness.
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Mr. Elumelu noted that thousands of households, local markets, and indigenous settlements remain vulnerable due to limited access to structured fire safety education. “Empowering citizens with practical, life-saving knowledge will significantly improve national resilience and reduce the frequency and severity of fire outbreaks,” he said.
Controller General Adeyemi Olumode described the partnership as a milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward a more preventive approach to fire management, assuring that the Service will implement the training with professionalism, transparency, and measurable impact nationwide.
