Abuja — August 30, 2025
The Federal Fire Service (FFS) has been tasked with assuming a frontline role in emergency medical services while also opening its operations to private sector participation, as part of broader reforms within the Ministry of Interior.
This directive came during the Mid-Tenure 2025 Sectoral Performance Retreat of the Ministry of Interior and its agencies, themed “From Plans to Results: Strengthening Institutional Performance in the Ministry of Interior,” which held from August 27 to 30 at Zuma Resort, Suleja, Niger State. The retreat concluded with the signing of the 2025 Performance Contracts by all agency heads, including the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, commended stakeholders for their leadership and dedication while urging agencies under his ministry to uphold integrity, loyalty, and character in public service delivery. He charged the Federal Fire Service to build strong capacity in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and enhance Nigeria’s first responder system, stressing that its performance would henceforth be judged by the number of lives and assets saved.
The Minister further directed the Service to intensify nationwide fire safety awareness campaigns and adopt modern practices that align with global best standards. He also called for liberalization of the fire sector to encourage private sector investment under proper regulation, noting that such participation would make the sector more vibrant, sustainable, and a key contributor to national development.
Dr. Tunji-Ojo added that the FFS should evolve into a major employer of labour and adopt digitization and innovation for institutional strengthening, in line with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The retreat also featured technical lectures on Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) and Digitization Innovation Service-Wise GPT, aimed at deepening institutional performance through technology and innovation.