The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced plans to establish fire stations in public universities across Nigeria, as part of efforts to strengthen fire safety and protect national assets within higher institutions.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch. Sonny Echono made the disclosure 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’s headquarters in Abuja.
Echono commended the Federal Fire Service for its dedication to safeguarding lives and property and expressed appreciation for the courtesy visit, which he described as both timely and strategic.
According to him, TETFund’s core mandate involves providing infrastructure for teaching, learning, and research across federal and state-owned tertiary institutions, noting that the value of assets developed through the Fund runs into several trillions of naira.
Echono noted that the preservation of these assets requires proactive measures, particularly in the area of fire prevention and management.
He said, “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.
“We have had fire incidents here twice in the last one-year, which prompted a comprehensive integrity test of our electrical installations and facilities. 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.”
The TETFund boss also disclosed that discussions were ongoing to formalise the collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering areas such as staff training, risk assessment, and institutional safety audits.
The Comptroller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Adeyemi, commended TETFund for its contributions to the development of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, describing the Fund’s infrastructure projects as monumental and transformative.
He revealed that several fire incidents had recently occurred in universities across the country, resulting in significant losses of property and, in some cases, lives.
“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.
The Fire Service chief proposed that fire defence equipment, such as smoke detectors, alarm systems, and extinguishers, be installed in all new and existing structures funded by TETFund. He also suggested that a joint inspection unit be established to carry out regular fire safety assessments of public tertiary institutions.
Adeyemi stressed the need for the establishment of fire stations in universities and colleges of education to enable quick response to emergencies.
“The Federal Fire Service is ready to deploy men and trucks round the clock to protect these institutions. We are also open to training collaborations and the development of our six existing training schools into research and capacity-building centres,” he said.
