Olubunmi Wants Fire Academy To Accommodate Private Fire Fighters

Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suggested the possibility of broadening the use of the National Fire Academy, Sheda Abuja, to accommodate Private Fire Service Men.

Speaking, after his first official inspection tour of the academy, Dr Tunji-Ojo said the facility can play key roles in training safety officers who will be “on-ground” responders for the private sector.

He said a lot more would be done to ensure that the facility would not only be useful in training officers of the fire service but also for the private sector.

“We must make fire safety a personal affair. Every institution, commercial and social recreation center should have certified fire and safety personnel, trained by this facility”.

The Minister explained that the academy could serve various private sector players, stressing that a market, bank, hotel, mall, restaurant, or even ministry should have first responders that can administer basic firefighting remedies while waiting for the arrival of a full operation squad of the country’s Fire Service.

Dr. Olubunmi explained that the tour was to ascertain the situation of things at the facility, and also see how fire service processes could be innovated to serve a broader spectrum in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“This is another innovative way to generate revenue because we expect that anyone looking to become a safety or security guard should get trained and certified by this academy”.

The minister, who inspected the facility alongside the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, was led on the tour by the Comptroller General of the Federal Fire Service, Jaji Abdulganiyu.

PR/Edited By Nkiru Njemanze