The Federal Fire Service (FFS) has decorated 2,620 newly promoted senior officers across various ranks, in the Service’s ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening emergency response and public safety nationwide.
The decoration ceremony, held on Wednesday, at the Service Headquarters in Abuja, was presided over by Samuel Adeyemi, Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service.
The event brought together senior government officials, heads of sister security agencies and key stakeholders in the nation’s security and emergency management architecture.
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Speaking at the ceremony, Adeyemi described the occasion as more than a routine event, saying it was a moment of affirmation, recognition and reflection for officers who earned their promotions through a rigorous and transparent process conducted by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) in collaboration with the Army Resource Centre.
“Promotion in the Federal Fire Service is neither automatic nor accidental. It is the product of years of dedication, repeated assessments, performance reviews and institutional scrutiny.
“Your new ranks are proof that the Service has found you worthy of greater trust and higher responsibility”, he said.
According to the breakdown, five officers were promoted to the rank of Deputy Controller of Fire (DCF), eight to Controller of Fire (CF), 103 to Chief Superintendent of Fire (CSF), 86 to Deputy Superintendent of Fire (DSF), 1,912 to Assistant Superintendent of Fire I (ASF I), 152 to Assistant Superintendent of Fire II (ASF II), and 440 to Assistant Inspector of Fire (AIF), bringing the total number of promoted officers to 2,620.
The Controller-General expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, for his support for security and emergency response institutions, noting that the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda has provided the policy backing and confidence needed to drive reforms within the Service.
He also commended Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the CDCFIB, for his emphasis on accountability, performance management and institutional reform.
Adeyemi, who assumed office on August 14, 2025, said his leadership has been guided by a clear mandate to reposition the Federal Fire Service for efficiency, sustained operational readiness and effective service delivery.
Drawing from nearly two decades of firefighting and emergency response experience, he said his administration has prioritised personnel welfare, operational capacity and prevention.
He disclosed that the Service has approved financial support for families of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, as well as those injured while serving.
“The interest-free welfare loan scheme was also reviewed upward from ₦300,000 to ₦500,000 per beneficiary, alongside the distribution of food palliatives to ease economic pressures on personnel”, he added.
On operations, the Controller-General said 40 refurbished, state-of-the-art fire appliances had been deployed to commands across the country, while over 700 trainees are currently undergoing intensive training in Jos, Plateau State.
He added that large-scale specialised training under the “Haske Biyu” programme was conducted at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, to enhance tactical competence and inter-agency collaboration.
Adeyemi also highlighted the establishment of a Public and Private Building Audit Taskforce to identify fire safety gaps nationwide, stronger collaboration with state fire services, and expanded partnerships with agencies such as the National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria Customs Service and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, which is supporting plans to establish fire stations in public tertiary institutions.
In addition, he said the Service has partnered with the Tony Elumelu Foundation to train 7,400 Nigerians in basic fire safety and prevention, while public engagement was boosted through the 2025 National Fire Safety Week, Harmattan Fire Safety Campaigns and virtual town hall meetings with Nigerians at home and in the diaspora.
The Controller-General also defended his December 17, 2025 directive of “No Leave, No Holidays” during the festive season, describing it as a strategic decision that enhanced readiness.
He said the directive paid off, as officers responded swiftly to multiple incidents across the country, saving lives and properties worth billions of naira.
“Fire does not recognise public holidays. Readiness saves lives,” he said.
Addressing the newly decorated officers, Adeyemi urged them to see their promotions as a call to higher standards of leadership, discipline, integrity and service, stressing the need to lead by example and uphold the values of the Service.
Speaking on behalf of the promoted officers, Sunday Musa, Controller of Fire thanked Tinubu, the Minister of Interior, the CDCFIB and the leadership of the Federal Fire Service for what he described as a morale-boosting exercise.
“This ceremony is not only a celebration of promotion but a reaffirmation of trust and higher expectations.
“We pledge our unwavering commitment to duty and to supporting the vision of a modern, professional and service-driven Federal Fire Service,” Musa said.
The ceremony concluded with renewed assurances from the Service’s leadership of continued reforms aimed at building a professional, responsive and people-centred fire service worthy of national trust.
