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The Federal Government is set to repeal the 1963 Fire Service Act and replace it with a new law establishing the Federal Fire and Rescue Service.
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Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo says the proposed legislation has completed its defence at the Federal Executive Council level and is expected to be presented on Thursday.
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The restructured agency will assume wider responsibilities, including emergency medical services, search and rescue, hazardous materials response, disaster management and accident investigation.
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The government has expanded the service’s commands from six to 18 and increased its Deputy Controller-General positions from one to three, while a new training academy in Abuja is 65 per cent complete.
November 2, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government is set to repeal the 63-year-old Fire Service Act of 1963 and establish a new Federal Fire and Rescue Service with an expanded mandate covering firefighting, emergency medical assistance, search and rescue, hazardous materials management and disaster response.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the 2026 National Fire Safety Week, saying the proposed legislation had completed its defence at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) level and was expected to be presented for consideration on Thursday.
THEWILL reports that the proposed legislation will replace the existing legal framework governing the Federal Fire Service and provide the agency with additional statutory powers to respond to emergencies beyond conventional firefighting.
Tunji-Ojo said the existing law, which dates back to 1963, had become inadequate for the country’s present-day emergency management requirements, limiting the service’s ability to undertake certain operations.
He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was determined to reposition the agency as a comprehensive emergency response institution capable of providing immediate assistance during accidents, natural disasters and other emergencies.
“For the first time in 63 years, this President has taken the bull by the horns. As I speak to you, I think we have finished defending it. It should be laid this week, Thursday, at the level of the Federal Executive Council.
“So with this new law, we are repealing what used to be the Federal Fire Service Act. What the government of President Bola Tinubu is bringing on board is the Federal Fire and Rescue Service,” the minister said.
1963 Law No Longer Adequate
Explaining the need for the legislative overhaul, Tunji-Ojo said the existing law had constrained the agency’s operational capacity because it did not adequately provide for the wider responsibilities now envisaged for the service.
He maintained that the absence of the necessary legal provisions could expose personnel to legal complications when undertaking emergency operations outside their existing statutory mandate.
“You cannot have a Fire Service Act of 1963 and think it will be near 2026 compliant. It doesn’t make sense. And if the law does not give you the power to do certain things, it makes the job of this man in uniform impossible to do.
“The number one issue we had was the law. There is no right way of doing what is legally wrong. If the law does not give you the power to do something, no matter how good that action is, once you do it, it becomes illegal,” he said.
Under the proposed framework, the Federal Fire and Rescue Service will be expected to serve as a first responder during emergencies, including road accidents, floods, earthquakes and incidents involving toxic substances.
Its expanded responsibilities will include first aid, emergency medical services, specialised rescue operations, hazardous materials response, disaster management and accident investigation.
The minister identified hazardous materials response, commonly known as HAZMAT operations, as one of the critical areas requiring specialised intervention by the restructured agency.
He said the government wanted a service equipped to rescue victims and provide medical assistance in emergencies, rather than one restricted to extinguishing fires.
“I want to have my dream of a fire service in Nigeria that will be able to provide that first aid, that will be able to provide that rescue service, even medical rescue services.
“I want to see a Federal Fire Service that specialises in rescue operations. I want to see a Federal Service that deals with hazardous materials, what we call HAZMAT response, when there is a ceiling, when there is a helicopter, toxic gas, etc. It is the fire service that is responsible,” he said.
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Tunji-Ojo also advocated the introduction of rescue techniques and emergency response education into school curricula, saying Nigerians should acquire basic lifesaving skills to enable them to assist victims during emergencies.
He expressed concern that many citizens lacked the knowledge required to perform basic resuscitation procedures, stressing the importance of making rescue skills part of everyday life.
“What percentage of Nigerians can even do a single resuscitation process? So we must make sure that rescue becomes our way of life, because you never can tell who that next person is you will be in a position to help. It might be your mother, it might be your son, it might be your daughter, it might even be somebody very important to you,” the minister said.
He further explained that the restructured service would coordinate policies to promote uniform fire safety standards across the country in collaboration with state governments and local authorities.
Fire Service Academy 65 Percent Complete
As part of efforts to improve personnel training and professional capacity, Tunji-Ojo disclosed that the Federal Government was constructing a fire service academy in Kwali, Abuja.
He said the project was approximately 65 per cent complete and was expected to be ready by December 2026.
The facility, according to the minister, occupies about 23 hectares and will comprise training classrooms, a library, a health centre and accommodation facilities capable of housing more than 3,000 trainees.
He also disclosed that the government had expanded the leadership structure of the Federal Fire Service by increasing the number of Deputy Controller-Generals from one to three.
Similarly, the agency’s commands had been increased from six to 18 as part of efforts to strengthen its administrative and operational reach across the country.
713 Officers Trained in One Week
Earlier, the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Adeyemi, said the 2026 National Fire Safety Week was designed to promote public awareness and strengthen citizens’ participation in preventing fire incidents.
Adeyemi said this year’s theme, *Building a Fire-Resilient Nigeria: Don’t Go Missing at a Time*, underscored the need for individuals, communities and institutions to embrace fire safety practices.
He disclosed that awareness campaigns would be conducted simultaneously across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with activities covering motor parks, schools, markets, and plazas.
The programme, he said, would also feature a roadshow and the distribution of fire safety materials translated into indigenous languages to ensure wider public understanding of fire prevention and emergency response procedures.
Adeyemi further disclosed that the service had trained 713 officers in the preceding week, while another 750 personnel were undergoing training.
He emphasised that effective fire prevention and emergency response required the collective efforts of government institutions, the private sector, communities and individuals.
The proposed repeal of the 1963 Act represents a major legislative shift in the statutory framework governing the Federal Fire Service, with the planned Federal Fire and Rescue Service expected to assume broader responsibilities in firefighting, rescue operations and emergency management.
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