The Federal Government is considering expanding operations of the National Fire Academy, Sheda, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to include private operators for a robust sector.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who dropped the hint during an inspection tour of the facility, observed that the institution has capacity to play key roles in training safety officers, who would be “on-ground” responders for the private sector.

He said: “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 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 centre should have certified fire and safety personnel, trained by this facility.”

In a statement, the minister noted that the academy could serve various private sector players, adding: “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 arrival of a full operations squad of the country’s fire service.”

Tunji-Ojo said the tour was to acquaint 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 the President Bola Tinubu administration.

He continued: “Today, we have over three million private guards certified by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (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.”

Others on the minister’s team included Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade and Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Jaji Abdulganiyu, who acted as the tour guide.