The Federal Government has decorated 2,620 personnel recently promoted within the Federal Fire Service (FFS), including five officers elevated to the rank of Controller of Fire (CF).
The decoration ceremony, held on Wednesday in Abuja, covered officers promoted to various ranks, comprising five Controllers of Fire, eight Assistant Controllers of Fire, 103 Chief Superintendents, 86 Superintendents of Fire, 1,912 Senior Fire Superintendents, and 152 Fire Superintendents I, among others.
Speaking at the event, the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Engr. Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, described the promotion exercise as the result of years of dedication, rigorous assessments, performance reviews, and institutional scrutiny. He said the beneficiaries were found worthy of higher responsibilities and greater trust.
Adeyemi charged the newly promoted officers to lead with vision, integrity, and discipline, urging them to go beyond routine duties. He noted that the new ranks represent not just recognition of past service, but a call to higher standards of leadership, sound judgment, and unwavering commitment to service.
Reflecting on his tenure, the FFS boss said his leadership has been focused on repositioning the Service for efficiency, sustained operational readiness, and effective public safety delivery in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.
He highlighted key achievements, including morale-boosting tours of fire stations within the Federal Capital Territory, welfare interventions such as financial support to families of fallen officers and injured personnel, and the upward review of the interest-free welfare loan scheme from ₦300,000 to ₦500,000. According to him, the Service also distributed rice palliatives to ease the burden on personnel.
Adeyemi further disclosed that operational capacity had been strengthened through the deployment of 40 revamped, state-of-the-art fire appliances to commands nationwide. He added that over 700 trainees are currently undergoing intensive fire and emergency response training in Jos, Plateau State.
The Controller-General also cited large-scale specialised training conducted at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, under the Haske Biyu programme, as well as a five-day executive leadership training for senior and mid-level officers.
On fire prevention, Adeyemi said the Service inaugurated a Public and Private Building Audit Taskforce to identify safety gaps nationwide and intensified collaboration with state fire services to enhance joint response and operational efficiency.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Interior for their support, pledging that the Service would continue to strengthen professionalism, welfare, and public safety delivery across the country.
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