The Federal Government announced that various commercial establishments, such as banks, hotels, schools, malls, recreational centers, and other private sector entities, will now be mandated to employ certified fire safety officers.
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, revealed this directive during his inaugural official inspection visit to the National Fire Academy in Sheda, Abuja.
In a statement released on Thursday by the Minister’s media aide, Babatunde Alao, it was suggested that the Fire Academy’s scope be expanded to include training for private fire service personnel.
“A lot has been done, but there is still a lot more to be done. With what I have seen here, I can guarantee you that we will work very hard to see that this facility will 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 centre should have certified fire and safety personnel, trained by this facility,” the minister was quoted as saying.
He explained how the academy could serve various private sector players, insisting that: “All public and commercial buildings and infrastructure such as banks, hotels, malls, restaurants, or even government buildings should have first responders that can administer basic fire fighting remedy while waiting for the arrival of a full operation squad of the country’s Fire Service.”
Dr Olubunmi explained that the tour was to fortify him with 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 #RenewedHope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The minister added that: “Today, we have over 3 million private guards certified by the NSCDC. We can have something similar for the fire service. We need private fire service men to enhance our service and response time. The President’s #RenewedHope agenda has charged us to be innovative if we must change the narrative.
“As a matter of fact, 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
