Federal Fire Service set for new name and wider rescue powers
PauseandPonderTV · Tue, 3 Nov 2026The government wants to scrap a 1963 law so the agency can respond to floods, crashes and chemical incidents.
The Federal Fire Service is to be renamed the Federal Fire and Rescue Service under plans to replace the law that created it more than six decades ago.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the plan on Monday in Abuja during the 2026 National Fire Safety Week. He said the 1963 Fire Service Act is out of date and stops the agency from taking on the work modern emergencies demand.
Under the new law, the service would also handle rescues after road crashes, respond to floods and earthquakes, deal with toxic and hazardous materials, provide first aid and emergency medical care, and carry out specialist rescue operations.
The minister said the proposal had been defended at the level of the Federal Executive Council and was expected to be presented to the council this week. It is not yet clear when it will go before the National Assembly.
Source: this report is based on reporting by PRNigeria and The Whistler.