The Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Samuel Adeyemi Olumode, has raised concerns over the persistent gap between building construction and fire safety standards in Nigeria, warning that the deficit continues to result in avoidable loss of lives, livelihoods and property.

Olumode spoke on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at Pestra Tech 2026, held in Lagos, tagged: “Closing the Fire Life Safety Gap in Nigeria’s Built Industry.”

He called for a shift from a reactive fire response culture to proactive fire-risk management, stressing that fire safety must be integrated into the design, construction, occupation and maintenance of buildings.

According to him, the Federal Fire Service responded to 1,866 fire incidents across the country in 2025, saving 2,106 lives and protecting assets valued at approximately N935 billion.

He, however, said 114 lives were lost while property worth about N74.75 billion was destroyed in the incidents.

Olumode attributed many fire occurrences to negligence, poor maintenance, substandard installations and the tendency to treat fire safety as an afterthought rather than a mandatory requirement.

He also identified inadequate fire station coverage relative to population and urban growth, limited specialised equipment in some formations, gaps in public awareness, unsafe building practices and non-compliance with building codes and fire safety standards as major challenges.

The Controller-General said the country must move beyond simply responding to fires to preventing avoidable incidents and reducing exposure to fire risks.

“Fire safety cannot begin when the building is completed, and it cannot end when the fire truck leaves the scene.

“It must begin at the drawing board. It must continue through construction, commissioning, occupation, maintenance and eventual renovation or change of use,” he said.

Olumode added that “a building that has excellent architecture but inadequate fire safety is not truly a safe building,” stressing the need for functional detection and early warning systems, alarms, suppression systems, safe evacuation routes and trained occupants.

He said the FFS had established the National Public & Private Building Audit Task Force to conduct systematic fire safety audits of public and private buildings, identify deficiencies and promote compliance with established safety requirements.

According to him, the initiative is helping to improve awareness, encourage corrective action and strengthen compliance through systematic inspection and stakeholder engagement.

The FFS chief also called for stronger collaboration among regulators, developers, facility managers, technology providers, professionals and the Fire Service from the design stage through occupation and maintenance.

He urged architects to design for safety, engineers to correctly specify and install safety systems, developers to regard fire safety as an investment, and facility managers to ensure that safety systems remained functional throughout the life of buildings.

Olumode also called on regulators to enforce standards consistently and technology providers to develop reliable, locally adaptable and affordable fire protection solutions.

He proposed that major new developments should engage the FFS and relevant regulatory authorities at the planning and design stages, while existing high-risk buildings should undergo periodic fire safety assessments.

He further urged public institutions, commercial facilities, schools, hospitals, markets and industrial establishments to have trained personnel capable of basic fire prevention, evacuation and first response.

The Controller-General said fire detection, early warning, alarm, suppression, emergency lighting and escape systems should be treated as essential infrastructure and maintained throughout the life of buildings, rather than installed merely to obtain approval.

He also called for deliberate investment by government at all levels, the private sector and communities in fire stations, equipment, personnel and preparedness.

Olumode said the ultimate measure of fire safety success should not only be the number of fires to which the service responds.

“Our greater success should be the fires that never happen, the buildings that remain safe, the communities that are prepared, and the lives that are never placed unnecessarily at risk,” he said.