The Federal Fire Service, saved no fewer than 2,106 lives and protected property valued at over N934 billion across Nigeria in 2025, underscoring its growing role in emergency response and public safety nationwide.
The figures were disclosed on Thursday in Abuja by the Deputy Controller General of the FFS in charge of Policy, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs Ijeoma Achi-Okidi, during a briefing with journalists.
According to the report, the Federal Fire Service responded to 1,866 fire incidents nationwide in 2025. Despite the scale of operations, the incidents resulted in 114 deaths, while 198 civilians and five firefighters sustained various degrees of injuries.
The total estimated value of property affected by fire outbreaks stood at N1.01 trillion, out of which N934.70 billion was successfully salvaged. This represents about 92.59 per cent of assets exposed to fire, while property losses were estimated at N74.75 billion.
The report put the fatality rate at 61.09 deaths per 1,000 fire incidents, highlighting the human cost of fire disasters even as the service recorded high success in asset protection.
A breakdown of incidents showed that private residential buildings accounted for the highest number of fire outbreaks with 693 cases. Public buildings followed with 444 incidents, while markets and trading centres recorded 190 fires. Vehicle and automobile fires stood at 177 cases, with other premises accounting for 105 incidents.
Analysis of fatalities revealed that markets and trading centres were the deadliest locations, recording 39 deaths. Automobile fires accounted for 22 fatalities, while public and government offices recorded 18 deaths. Bank-related fires led to 10 deaths, with another 10 fatalities arising from other categories of fire incidents.
Market fires were responsible for more than one-third of all fire-related deaths in 2025, a situation the report attributed to high human traffic and the rapid spread of flames in congested commercial environments.
In terms of economic losses, markets and trading centres suffered the highest damage, with losses estimated at N22.27 billion. Private residences followed with N14.67 billion in losses, while public and government buildings lost about N11 billion. Educational institutions recorded losses of N8.16 billion, and fuel and gas stations accounted for N4.92 billion.
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The report further identified electrical faults, including power surges and faulty wiring, as the leading cause of fires in 2025, responsible for nearly 70 per cent of all incidents recorded nationwide. Although gas explosions occurred less frequently, they recorded the highest fatality rate per incident.
Speaking on the performance of the service, the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Mr Samuel Olumode, described the 2025 figures as a reflection of improved response capacity and professionalism within the agency.
He said the service would intensify efforts to safeguard lives and property through stronger preventive regulations, increased public awareness campaigns and improved forensic fire investigation.
According to Olumode, strengthening infrastructure safety standards remains critical to reducing fire-related deaths and economic losses across the country.
He also called on Nigerians to cooperate with firefighters during emergency operations to enable effective fire suppression and rescue efforts.
“Prevention is better than reaction,” the Controller General said, noting that the service has expanded public enlightenment programmes and safety training as part of its long-term strategy to reduce fire incidents nationwide.
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