The Federal Fire Service (FFS) is the principal government agency responsible for firefighting, rescue operations, and fire prevention policy across the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior, the FFS regulates national fire safety codes, maintains emergency assets, and provides training programs through its dedicated academies. Outside of its headquarters in Abuja, the agency is divided into regional geopolitical zones.
History The establishment of organized firefighting in Nigeria traces back to the British colonial era. The first formal framework was initiated in 1901 with the creation of the Lagos Fire Brigade in the Southern Nigeria Protectorate, designed initially to safeguard administrative infrastructure and colonial installations in Lagos Island.
Following independence in 1960, the Parliament of Nigeria passed the Fire Service Act of 1963. This statute formally converted the old colonial municipal brigade into a nationwide agency named the Federal Fire Service. The Act empowered the body to operate across regional boundaries, draft policy, and assist localized regions experiencing large-scale fire emergencies.
Structure Administration and Supply Department Finance and Accounts Department Operations Department Planning Research and Statistics/ICT Department National Fire Academy Investigation, Inspectorate and Enforcement Department (IIE)
Agencies National Fire Data Repository Center (NFDRC)
Zones Each zone manages multiple state field commands containing localized urban stations, ensuring operational assets remain within striking distance of severe incidents:
Zone A: Benue, Nasarawa Zone B: Plateau, Kaduna Zone C: Bauchi, Gombe Zone D: Enugu, Anambra Zone E: Akwa Ibom, Rivers Zone F: Lagos, Ogun Zone G: Niger, FCT Zone H: Sokoto, Kebbi Zone I: Adamawa, Taraba Zone J: Imo, Abia Zone K: Delta, Bayelsa, Edo Zone L: Osun, Oyo Zone M: Kano, Jigawa Zone N: Borno, Yobe Zone O: Kwara, Kogi Zone P: Katsina, Zamfara Zone Q: Cross River, Ebonyi Zone R: Ekiti, Ondo
List of Controllers-General NameTenure StartedTenure EndedPresidentAyo Emmanuel Olumuyiwa9 December 2014Goodluck JonathanJoseph Anebi Garba9 December 20141 March 2019Goodluck Jonathan Muhammadu BuhariIbrahim Alhaji Liman1 March 201926 April 2022Abdulganiyu Jaji Olola26 April 2022August 14, 2025Muhammadu Buhari Bola TinubuOlumode Samuel AdeyemiAugust 14, 2025PresentBola Tinubu
See also List of fire departments
References