FG targets May 2026 completion for federal fire academy

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that the Federal Fire Academy, which is under construction, will be ready for the training of officers by May 2026, describing the project as a major milestone in strengthening the nation’s emergency response and disaster management capacity.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the assurance on Friday after inspecting the facility located at Sheda, Abuja, expressing satisfaction with the pace and quality of work done so far.

He said the Federal Government is committed to establishing a world-class Fire Academy that will serve as a hub for professionalism and career development in the paramilitary sector.

Tunji-Ojo noted that the vision of the Ministry goes beyond a conventional fire training school, revealing plans to expand it into a full-fledged Paramilitary Institute that will provide advanced professional and career development courses.

“What the Federal Government is trying to do is novel. We are creating a world-class Fire Academy and extending it into a Paramilitary Institute to make it a very big hub for capacity building,” he said.

According to the Minister, the project currently sits on 10 hectares of land, with an additional 13 hectares provided by the Kwali Area Council in collaboration with the traditional institution, bringing the total land mass to 23 hectares.

He explained that the expanded space would enable the Academy to serve as a comprehensive centre for training and retraining paramilitary officers.

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Tunji-Ojo disclosed that construction work is between 65 and 70 per cent complete, adding that the contractor has assured the Ministry of delivery by May 2026.

He described the project as a significant achievement for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

He stressed that capacity building remains central to effective service delivery, noting that modern fire services go beyond firefighting to include emergency response, disaster management and rescue operations.

The Minister added that the Academy would not only train officers of the Federal Fire Service but also provide training opportunities for private sector participants.

This, he said, would reduce the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for specialised rescue and emergency management courses, thereby conserving foreign exchange and empowering local youth.

On his part, the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Samuel Olumode, said the Service has adequate human resources to support the Academy’s operations, revealing that its current staff strength is above 11,000, with more personnel expected to join.

“When you talk of human capacity, we have enough to man these facilities,” Olumode stated, adding that the Academy would significantly enhance service delivery.

He highlighted key features of the facility, including a state-of-the-art firehouse designed for search and rescue simulations — a structure he said is not available anywhere else in West Africa.

The Academy will also have accommodation capable of hosting about 3,000 participants at a time.

Olumode described the project as laudable, reiterating that upon completion, the Federal Fire Academy would position Nigeria as a regional leader in fire safety training, emergency response and disaster management.