KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY DR IJEOMA ACHI-OKIDI THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONTROLLER GENERAL, FEDERAL FIRE SERVICE, SAMUEL OLUMODE ADEYEMI, MBA, MDRM, ACTI, FCNA, AT THE 2026 PEOPLE’S SECURITY MONITOR ANNUAL SECURITY CONFERENCE AND AWARD CEREMONY

PROTOCOLS

Every nation is tested not only by the threats it anticipates but also by the emergencies it fails to foresee. The true measure of national strength is not merely how effectively it defends its borders, but how well it protects its people, safeguards critical infrastructure, preserves livelihoods, and recovers from adversity.

It is therefore a great honour and privilege to address this distinguished gathering of policymakers, security professionals, members of the diplomatic corps, development partners, labour leaders, captains of industry, civil society organizations, academics, and other stakeholders committed to the advancement of our nation.

I sincerely commend the management of People’s Security Monitor for convening this important conference and for providing a platform for meaningful dialogue on issues that directly impact national security, public safety, and sustainable development.

The theme of this conference, “Human Security and National Resilience: The Strategic Role of the Federal Fire Service in Nigeria’s Security Framework,” is both timely and significant. It reflects a growing recognition across the world that security can no longer be viewed solely through the prism of military strength, territorial integrity, or law enforcement. While these remain important, the foundation of every secure nation lies in the safety, well being, and resilience of its people.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

Human security places people at the centre of governance, development, and security planning. It recognizes that threats to human well being can arise not only from crime and conflict but also from disasters, emergencies, environmental hazards, infrastructure failures, economic disruptions, and public health crises.

National resilience, on the other hand, refers to the capacity of a nation, its institutions, and its citizens to anticipate risks, withstand shocks, respond effectively to emergencies, and recover stronger from adversity.

These two concepts are inseparable. A nation cannot be resilient if its people are vulnerable, and people cannot feel secure where institutions lack the capacity to protect them from preventable threats.

It is within this context that the role of the Federal Fire Service must be understood.

The Federal Fire Service is often associated with extinguishing fires. While that remains a core responsibility, our mandate today extends far beyond firefighting. We are an institution of prevention, preparedness, rescue, emergency medical response, infrastructure protection, disaster risk reduction, public safety management, and community resilience.

In many respects, the Federal Fire Service has become a frontline institution within Nigeria’s human security and national resilience architecture.

From airports and seaports to educational institutions, healthcare facilities, energy installations, markets, government buildings, and industrial complexes, the Federal Fire Service plays a vital role in protecting the infrastructure that sustains national development and economic growth.

Today, our nation faces increasingly complex risks. Rapid urbanization, climate related disasters, industrial expansion, hazardous material incidents, transportation emergencies, infrastructure failures, and other emergencies present growing challenges to public safety and national development.

The impact of such incidents extends beyond the immediate loss of lives and property. They disrupt businesses, affect livelihoods, weaken investor confidence, interrupt essential services, displace families, and place additional burdens on government resources.

In this regard, emergency management is not only a public safety function but also an important contributor to economic security. A resilient economy depends on resilient institutions, protected investments, and uninterrupted critical services.

Every market preserved from destruction, every hospital protected from disaster, every school safeguarded from fire outbreaks, every industrial facility secured against operational disruption, and every life saved during an emergency response contributes directly to national stability and resilience.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Federal Fire Service has continued to reposition itself to effectively address emerging risks and evolving realities. Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, through the Renewed Hope Agenda, and the guidance of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, the Service has intensified efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness, operational readiness, public awareness, institutional capacity, and stakeholder engagement.

In pursuit of these objectives, we have embraced a preventive and resilience driven approach to emergency management. We recognize that the future of emergency management will not be defined solely by how quickly we respond to disasters, but by how effectively we prevent them through preparedness, innovation, partnerships, and collective responsibility.

A resilient nation cannot be built on vulnerable infrastructure. Public buildings, commercial facilities, industrial establishments, educational institutions, and residential developments constitute critical components of our national ecosystem. Ensuring their safety is therefore not merely a regulatory responsibility but a strategic national imperative.

It is against this backdrop that the Federal Fire Service has intensified the audit, inspection, and risk assessment of public and private buildings across the country. This initiative is designed to identify hazards, promote compliance with fire safety standards, improve emergency preparedness, and reduce vulnerabilities before they result in disasters. Through these audits, we are helping to safeguard lives, preserve investments, strengthen business continuity, and enhance the resilience of our institutions and communities.

Our objective is clear. To move Nigeria from a reactive emergency response culture to a preventive safety culture where risks are identified, mitigated, and managed before they escalate into emergencies.

Distinguished participants,

Educational institutions are not only centres of learning. They are repositories of national investment, innovation, knowledge, and human capital. Their safety is therefore directly linked to Nigeria’s long term development and resilience.

Recognizing this reality, the Federal Fire Service entered into a strategic partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, to strengthen fire safety and emergency preparedness across public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.

Through this partnership, comprehensive fire risk assessments are being conducted to identify vulnerabilities and recommend corrective measures. Beyond risk assessment, the initiative seeks to facilitate the establishment of functional fire stations within tertiary institutions across the country, thereby strengthening emergency response capabilities and ensuring that our centres of learning are adequately equipped to prevent, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

This initiative represents one of the most comprehensive institutional fire safety interventions in Nigeria’s history and reflects our commitment to embedding resilience within the nation’s educational infrastructure.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Building a resilient Nigeria requires a partnership that extends beyond government institutions. It requires the active participation of Corporate Nigeria whose resources, expertise, innovation, and influence can significantly strengthen national preparedness and safety outcomes.

The Federal Fire Service has therefore prioritized strategic engagement with the private sector as a critical partner in advancing human security and national resilience.

In furtherance of this objective, we have strengthened collaboration with BUA Group, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Heirs Holdings, United Capital Plc, and other stakeholders committed to promoting safety culture, community resilience, and emergency preparedness.

Particularly noteworthy is our partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation through which thousands of Nigerians across the thirty six states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory have benefited from fire safety awareness and preparedness training. This initiative is helping to build a nationwide network of safety advocates while strengthening grassroots resilience and promoting a culture of prevention among entrepreneurs, small business owners, and local communities.

This partnership demonstrates what is possible when the private sector joins hands with government in pursuit of a shared objective. Through these engagements, we are deliberately working to make the fire and emergency management sector more attractive for private sector participation and investment.

When Corporate Nigeria lends its expertise, resources, innovation, and influence to public safety initiatives, the result is stronger institutions, safer communities, and a more resilient nation.

Beyond these strategic interventions, the Federal Fire Service has continued to expand nationwide fire prevention campaigns and public enlightenment programmes. Through National Fire Safety Week activities, market sensitization campaigns, school outreach programmes, institutional inspections, media engagements, stakeholder forums, and community based interventions, we have continued to promote a culture of prevention and preparedness across the country.

Recognizing that preparedness remains the cornerstone of resilience, the Service has intensified fire drills, simulation exercises, inspections, and emergency preparedness programmes aimed at improving readiness among institutions, communities, and businesses.

Furthermore, through the National Fire Academy and other professional development initiatives, we have continued to invest in the training and retraining of officers to ensure that they possess the competencies required to manage contemporary emergency situations effectively and professionally.

The Federal Fire Service has also strengthened collaboration with sister security agencies, emergency management institutions, healthcare providers, state fire services, development partners, and community stakeholders. These partnerships have enhanced operational coordination, information sharing, and emergency response effectiveness.

In recognition of the evolving nature of emergency management, the Federal Fire Service has equally expanded its rescue and Emergency Medical Services capabilities. Today, our officers increasingly respond not only to fire outbreaks but also to road traffic crashes, rescue operations, medical emergencies, building collapse incidents, industrial accidents, and other situations where timely intervention can save lives.

Whether responding to market fires, tanker incidents, industrial emergencies, building collapses, road traffic rescues, medical emergencies, or other disasters, our personnel are often among the first responders standing between danger and safety, chaos and order, loss and survival.

Distinguished participants,

Despite these achievements, important challenges remain.

One of our greatest challenges is not necessarily a shortage of equipment or manpower. It is the persistence of a reactive culture in which safety becomes important only after tragedy occurs.

Too often, buildings are occupied without adequate safety measures. Fire protection systems are neglected. Emergency exits are obstructed. Electrical installations are poorly maintained. Safety regulations are ignored until disaster strikes.

As a nation, we must transition from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention.

Another challenge is the rapid pace of urbanization and infrastructure expansion. As our cities continue to grow, so too do the complexities and risks associated with emergency management. This reality requires continuous investment in personnel, equipment, technology, and institutional capacity.

Equally important is the challenge of limited private sector participation in resilience building initiatives. While progress has been made, greater corporate involvement is required to complement government efforts in promoting safety awareness, preparedness, and emergency response capabilities.

There is also a need for stronger collaboration among stakeholders. The complexity of modern emergencies demands coordinated action among government institutions, security agencies, emergency responders, healthcare providers, private organizations, traditional institutions, civil society groups, academic institutions, and local communities.

No single institution possesses all the resources, expertise, or capacities required to address today’s interconnected risks. Building national resilience therefore requires a whole of government and whole of society approach.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The future of emergency management will increasingly be shaped by innovation, technology, strategic partnerships, and data driven decision making.

The Federal Fire Service remains committed to embracing modern technologies and global best practices that enhance situational awareness, improve response times, strengthen communication systems, and support more effective emergency management outcomes.

However, technology alone cannot build resilience.

The most resilient societies are those that cultivate public trust, promote civic responsibility, encourage compliance with safety standards, and invest consistently in prevention and preparedness.

As Controller General, I remain convinced that the future of emergency management in Nigeria lies in stronger partnerships, greater public awareness, enhanced professionalism, institutional strengthening, and sustained investment in resilience.

National resilience is not built during emergencies. It is built long before crises occur through awareness, preparedness, collaboration, training, prevention, and shared responsibility.

As I conclude, permit me to emphasize that the responsibility of building a resilient Nigeria does not belong exclusively to government.

It belongs to the policymaker who enacts safety conscious legislation.

It belongs to the business owner who invests in prevention and preparedness.

It belongs to the community leader who promotes public awareness and responsible practices.

It belongs to the media that educates and informs.

It belongs to the citizen who chooses compliance over convenience.

National resilience is not built by institutions alone. It is built by people.

And when people, institutions, communities, and governments work together, resilience becomes not merely an aspiration but a reality.

The Nigeria we seek to build is one where preparedness replaces complacency, prevention replaces reaction, and partnership replaces isolation. It is a Nigeria where every institution understands its responsibility, every organization embraces safety as a value, and every citizen recognizes that resilience begins with individual action.

Let us therefore leave this conference with a renewed commitment to protecting lives, safeguarding our communities, strengthening our institutions, and building a nation capable of withstanding and overcoming the challenges of our time.

Together, we can build a safer, stronger, and more resilient Nigeria.

Thank you for your attention.

God bless the Federal Fire Service.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.