By Ganiyat Mumuni
The Federal Fire Service (FFS) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have joined billionaire philanthropist and UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu to honor the victims of the recent Afritower fire incident in Lagos.
The two federal agencies observed a solemn one-minute silence in memory of the lives lost during the tragedy.
The symbolic tribute was part of activities marking the official visit of the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi at the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) headquarters in Abuja.
The visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Fire Service and the Customs in safeguarding lives, property, and critical national assets.
Comptroller General of the Federal Fire Service(FFS) Adeyemi expressed gratitude to the NCS for its support in facilitating duty-free importation of firefighting equipment, trucks, and safety gadgets.
He lauded the Customs Service as the nation’s highest revenue-generating agency in the non-oil sector and a true pillar of the nation.
Reaffirming the FFS mandate, Adeyemi said the agency is committed to saving lives and property, rendering humanitarian services, and forging stronger partnerships across government institutions.
He noted that the visit was intended to close a 15-year gap in formal collaboration and proposed new areas of partnership, including joint safety audits of Customs facilities, training of personnel and their families on fire safety, and deploying FFS officers to man Customs buildings at no cost.
Comptroller-General Adeniyi congratulated Adeyemi on his leadership and praised the FFS for its critical role in national safety and emergency preparedness.
He pledged Customs’ continued support in facilitating duty-free importation of firefighting equipment and expressed readiness to provide operational and utility vehicles to the Fire Service within available resources.
Adeniyi also announced plans to integrate fire safety training into Customs’ staff curriculum, conduct joint regular drills with the FFS, and review safety protocols across Customs formations nationwide.
Both leaders agreed to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and to jointly carry out safety audits of Customs facilities, including smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, and alarm systems.
The Comptroller-General further urged the Fire Service to extend similar visits to other key agencies such as the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), National Communications Commission (NCC), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to advance a whole-of-government approach to public safety.
