Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has announced plans to establish fire stations in public universities across the country, in a move aimed at strengthening fire prevention, rapid emergency response, and the protection of critical national assets in higher institutions.
The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, disclosed the initiative on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the Comptroller-General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, to the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja.
Echono noted that TETFund has over the years invested trillions of naira in academic infrastructure, research facilities, and capacity-building across federal and state-owned tertiary institutions, explaining that safeguarding these investments requires sustained fire safety preparedness.
“We cannot deliver infrastructure without ensuring safety. Prevention is key,” Echono said. “Our goal is to equip institutions with functional hydrants, sprinklers, smoke detectors, and to train personnel capable of responding effectively to emergencies. We have experienced two fire incidents in our own facility within one year, which underscores the urgency of this intervention.”
In his remarks, the Fire Service Comptroller-General, Adeyemi, commended TETFund for its transformative infrastructure projects, but raised concern over increasing cases of fire outbreaks in universities.
“In 2024 alone, we recorded fire incidents in three federal universities, including hostels where several rooms were destroyed and some students lost their lives,” he said.
He called for the installation of fire defence systems in both new and existing structures funded by TETFund and the establishment of fire response units on campuses.
Adeyemi said the FFS is prepared to deploy trained personnel and fire trucks, while also collaborating on training through its six national academies.
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Korede Abdullah 
Chukwu Obinna 
Oluwatobi Adu 