Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has called for urgent reform of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), including a new legal framework to empower it and open the sector to private participation.
Speaking at the Ministry of Interior Mid-Tenure/2025 Sectoral Performance Retreat held at Zuma Rock Resorts in Suleja, Niger State, the Minister described the current Fire Service Act of 1963 as “obsolete and inadequate,” stressing that it neither reflects today’s realities nor gives the FFS prosecutorial or regulatory powers.
He said: “By law today, the fire service cannot prosecute, cannot enumerate, and cannot even regulate. When a government agency lacks prosecution, regulation and enforcement powers, it becomes a toothless dog.
The Minister argued that Nigeria’s growing population and booming economy require modern fire and rescue services, which cannot be funded by government alone. “Government cannot keep buying fire trucks abroad. Just as we license private guard companies, we must begin to license private firefighting and rescue companies,” he declared.
He added that private sector involvement in firefighting is standard practice in advanced economies such as Japan, China and the United States, noting that Nigeria must adopt similar models to protect lives, businesses and investments.
Tunji-Ojo noted that effective emergency response is critical for investor confidence, adding that: “No serious investor will put money in a country where there is no emergency response system. Most fire incidents could have been avoided with immediate response.”
He revealed that his ministry was already in discussions with the National Assembly on amending the Fire Service Act to bring the law in line with global best practices and empower the FFS with regulatory authority.
The Minister said beyond fire service reform, it was bad to frequently redeploy officers across unrelated units in paramilitary agencies, describing it as wasteful and counterproductive.
He said: “If you spend one year in border management and are suddenly moved to finance or HR, capacity building suffers. Officers should be allowed to build careers along their areas of expertise. National security requires specialization, not generalization.”
Tunji-Ojo called for structured career progression paths within the Interior Ministry’s agencies, particularly for officers in border management, migration and HR, to ensure institutional knowledge and continuity.
He insisted that emergency services are central to national security and economic stability, noting that in the US and UK, emergency medical services are under the fire service, adding that this is what we must aim for. “If we fail in emergency response, we fail the economy.
The Minister urged lawmakers, stakeholders and the private sector to join forces with government in transforming the nation’s fire and rescue framework, describing it as a prerequisite for safety, investment and sustainable growth.
