The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has unveiled plans to establish fire stations in public universities across Nigeria as part of efforts to enhance fire safety and safeguard national assets within higher institutions.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Arch. Sonny Echono, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when the Comptroller-General of the Federal Fire Service, FFS, Mr. Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, led a high-powered delegation on a courtesy visit to the Fund.
Echono commended the Federal Fire Service for its commitment to protecting lives and property, describing the visit as timely and strategic.
He noted that TETFund’s core mandate focuses on providing infrastructure for teaching, learning, and research across federal and state-owned tertiary institutions, with the total value of assets developed through the Fund now running into several trillions of naira.
“The preservation of these national assets requires proactive measures, particularly in fire prevention and management.
“We cannot provide these national assets without thinking about how to keep them functional and safe for the users. Fire protection is therefore essential, installing devices such as hydrants, sprinklers, and smoke detectors, while also ensuring that personnel are adequately trained to respond to fire emergencies,” he said.
The TETFund boss revealed that the agency had experienced two fire incidents in the past year, prompting a comprehensive integrity test of its electrical systems.
“Prevention is a more effective weapon, and that is what this collaboration seeks to achieve. We will support this initiative through targeted interventions, while the Fire Service provides the needed manpower, training, and technical expertise,” he added.
Echono further disclosed that discussions were underway to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, that would cover staff training, risk assessment, and institutional safety audits.
Also speaking, the Comptroller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Adeyemi, lauded TETFund for its transformative contributions to the development of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
He lamented the growing frequency of fire outbreaks in universities across the country, noting that several incidents had resulted in heavy losses of property and, in some cases, fatalities.
“In 2024 alone, we recorded fire outbreaks in three federal universities, including hostels where about 29 rooms were destroyed and several students lost their lives. This is why we are seeking stronger collaboration with TETFund,” Adeyemi said.
He proposed that fire defence systems such as smoke detectors, alarm systems, and extinguishers be incorporated into all TETFund-funded structures, and suggested the establishment of a joint inspection unit to carry out periodic fire safety assessments in public tertiary institutions.
Adeyemi also emphasised the need for fire stations to be set up within universities and colleges of education to ensure rapid emergency response.
“The Federal Fire Service is ready to deploy men and trucks round the clock to protect these institutions,” he said, adding that the Service was open to training collaborations and the development of its six training schools into research and capacity-building centres.
