The Federal Fire Service has announced a groundbreaking national capacity-building initiative following a strategic collaboration with the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) to train 7,400 Nigerians on fire safety preparedness across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

This partnership was consolidated during a courtesy visit to Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Chairman of Heirs Holdings and the United Bank for Africa (UBA), at the Hilton, Abuja. The Controller General, Federal Fire Service, Samuel Adeyemi Olumode, FCNA, ACTI, led a delegation of senior management officers to the high-level engagement.

During the engagement, the Service also formally investitured Mr. Peter Ashade, Group CEO, United Capital Plc, as a National Fire Safety Ambassador, in recognition of the Heirs Group’s significant contributions to enhancing safety consciousness and advancing community-focused fire safety initiatives nationwide. This honour further reinforces the expanding partnership between the Federal Fire Service and the Tony Elumelu ecosystem. As part of the collaboration, Federal Fire Service personnel will be deployed across all infrastructures under Mr. Tony Elumelu’s business portfolio nationwide, serving as safety officers to support compliance, strengthen safety monitoring, and enhance fire prevention awareness across all facilities.

Mr. Elumelu emphasized the urgent need to deepen community-level fire safety awareness, noting that thousands of households, local markets, and indigenous settlements remain vulnerable due to limited access to structured fire prevention education. He underscored that empowering citizens with practical, life-saving knowledge will significantly improve national resilience and reduce both the frequency and severity of fire outbreaks.

Under the collaboration, the Federal Fire Service will train 200 persons in each state of the federation and the FCT, totaling 7,400 beneficiaries.

The programme will focus on essential fire-prevention skills, early warning practices, and basic emergency response procedures. Participants will also be groomed to serve as fire safety advocates within their communities, creating a multiplier effect that promotes vigilance and responsible safety behaviour nationwide.

The Controller General described the partnership as a milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward a more preventive approach to fire management. He expressed profound appreciation to Mr. Elumelu and the Foundation for championing a community-centric model that aligns with global best practices. He further assured that the Service will deliver the training with professionalism, transparency, and measurable impact across all zones.

The initiative is expected to significantly strengthen grassroots preparedness, improve first-response capacity, and foster a long-term culture of fire safety within communities.