Echono’s Safety Vision For Nigeria’s Tertiary Institutions

In an era where public infrastructure faces mounting safety concerns, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is redefining how Nigeria protects its most valuable assets, its students, campuses, and learning facilities.

Under the leadership of its Executive Secretary, Architect Sonny Echono, the Fund is championing a new partnership with the Federal Fire Service (FFS) to strengthen safety standards across tertiary institutions.
With thousands of buildings, laboratories, and hostels across more than 275 public tertiary institutions, TETFund’s investments, now valued in trillions of naira require not only development but deliberate protection.

During a recent courtesy visit by the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumide Samuel Adeyemi, to the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja, Echono said it cannot provide these assets without wondering how to keep them in functional condition and how to ensure that they are safe for those who will use them.

The partnership signals a critical shift in how Nigeria’s education infrastructure is managed. Beyond funding new structures, the focus now extends to ensuring these assets are safe from fire hazards and other emergencies.

Speaking, Echono said; “Fire protection is essential. Depending on the classification of the buildings, you must have fire protection devices, hydrants, sprinklers, smoke detectors, and all the other facilities that are prerequisites in many countries.

“You also need to educate people to ensure these systems are functional and that personnel are trained to respond when needed.”

The Executive Secretary, who welcomed the Fire Service delegation, expressed deep appreciation for what he described as a “robust partnership with purpose.”
He noted that the Fund’s statutory mandate goes far beyond construction, covering training, research, and innovation for national development.

“We promote research, develop products and services that improve living conditions, create jobs, and modernise curricula through IT. But as we provide these assets, we must also ensure they remain safe and sustainable.

“We have a Board of Trustees that administers the funds to achieve five key objectives, including infrastructure, academic staff training, and research. We’ve always approached this mandate with diligence and professionalism,” he said.

Echono lamented that despite insurance and other risk management measures, incidents of fire had continued to threaten public assets. “It is unfortunate, but prevention remains our most effective weapon. That is why this collaboration with the Fire Service is timely. We are moving from response to prevention.”
He stressed that safety equipment and training must become standard features of public campuses. “We will cascade this initiative across all beneficiary institutions. Every major campus must have at least one fire station that can respond quickly in the event of an emergency.

“We will promote interventions that enable our schools to acquire the basic facilities needed for fire safety, while the Fire Service will help with manpower, training, and technical support.”

Echono furtyrevealed that TETFund itself had suffered two fire incidents in the past year, prompting a comprehensive electrical integrity test across its buildings.

“We had to conduct a general integrity test for our electrical installations and facilities, and the Federal Fire Service helped us assess escape routes and other safety structures. Their support has been invaluable.”

He emphasised that while assets can be rebuilt, lives cannot. According to him, the partnership will also focus on strengthening safety awareness among campus communities.

Echono reiterated that safety enforcement would become non-negotiable in all TETFund projects, saying that fire defence equipment must be specified and enforced in all our buildings.

“When it leads to loss of lives, that becomes irreplaceable,” he stated. “We must do everything to avoid it. That’s why we are exploring a more robust relationship with the Federal Fire Service through a Memorandum of Understanding to cover training for our staff and those of our beneficiary institutions.”

“We are discussing something in the region of almost 20 million Nigerians who live, work, or study within or around tertiary institutions. Once we get this right, we will have gone a long way in reducing fire disasters and their impact on our national economy.

“For major buildings, particularly secretariats and civic complexes, fire safety facilities are no longer optional, they are mandatory. We will ensure compliance,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that the partnership would usher in a new era of safety and resilience across Nigeria’s campuses. “When lives are lost, they are irreplaceable. Buildings can be rebuilt, but human life cannot. That is why we must do everything possible to prevent fire disasters and secure our campuses.”

On his part, the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumide Samuel Adeyemi, praised TETFund for its massive contributions to the education sector and reaffirmed his Service’s commitment to protecting those investments.

“First and foremost, I appreciate TETFund for your efforts in infrastructural development in our universities. Our mandate at the Fire Service is to save lives and properties through prevention, education, and response.

“We are here today to strengthen our relationship with TETFund, to ensure that our universities and colleges are safe learning environments.”

He commended the Fund for accommodating Fire Service personnel within its premises. “When I came in, the head of the corporation wanted to redeploy some of our officers posted to TETFund, but they refused,” he said. “They said they didn’t want to leave. It shows the landlord is doing well for them.”

Adeyemi expressed concern over the increasing number of fire incidents on campuses.
He urged TETFund to ensure that new and existing buildings are equipped with fire defence equipment such as smoke detectors, alarm systems, and extinguishers.
Adeyemi also called for the establishment of fire stations in federal tertiary institutions.

“In 2024, three federal university hostels were gutted by fire, and we lost about five students. Even this year, hostels in Kogi State University and other institutions have experienced similar tragedies. Nobody wants to lose a child. We must act now.

“There should be collaboration between the Federal Fire Service and TETFund engineers to inspect these buildings and recommend corrective measures. That way, we can reduce the economic and human losses associated with fire incidents.

“If there’s a way, many fire stations can be built in universities to protect lives and property..The Fire Service is ready to deploy trucks and personnel 24 hours a day to man these properties,” he added.
Beyond emergency response, he stressed the importance of training and education, saying there is the need to educate students.

“We can’t just enter universities directly; we have to go through TETFund. Together, we can establish safety education units that will carry out drills and awareness campaigns.”
Adeyemi appealed to TETFund to support the development of the Service’s six training schools across the country. He noted that if these schools are developed, they can have research centres and training facilities for personnel.

He also observed the need for structural risk assessments in public buildings. “As we came into this hall, I noticed there’s only one exit, if there’s an emergency now, nobody will wait for the Executive Secretary. Every building must have multiple exits and proper escape routes.”

Adeyemi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to partnering with TETFund to protect Nigeria’s educational infrastructure. “Our hands are open for collaboration. Together, we can save lives and safeguard the huge investments the government has made in the education sector.”