An expert, Adeleye Oladimeji, says Nigeria can generate more than N32 billion in revenue over 10 years through fire detection and alarm system services.
Mr Oladimeji disclosed this in an interview on Sunday in Abuja.
“But the point is, while they pay more attention to the operations system, less attention is given to the residential sector and even their office complex area,’’ he said.
Mr Oladimeji recalled an incident that happened in 2003 at a Port Harcourt-based oil company, which led to the introduction of the alarm system.
“This is not limited to the federal government alone, though the federal government is responsible to the generality of Nigerians; other asset owners should equally show commitment to protecting their property,’’ he said.
Mr Oladimeji stated that the public-private partnership arrangement commenced in 2023 under the then-interior minister Rauf Aregbesola. He said that his firm was liaising with the Federal Fire Service, the project guarantor, to provide the services.
Oladimeji said that, although liaising with the federal fire service had been taking some time, his firm had been making progress in the collaboration between early detection and firefighting.
He said that, having been engaged in the capacity building of Federal Fire Service personnel for some time, his firm was now set to go into full operation.
“The PPP concession they entered was more of a revenue-driven type. We are not expecting any money from the federal government, but we are interfacing with the life safety system with asset owners,” he said.
The managing director stated that his organisation’s target was to bring asset owners on board and provide them with comprehensive monitoring, so that in the event of any incident, the response time of the fire service would be swifter.
He said that before now, revenue projection had been put at more than N32 billion for a 10-year period, adding, however, that with the current situation, his firm could generate much more than the projected figure.
Oladimeji, an engineer, expressed regret that the government had yet to realise any benefits from the window since 2023 due to resistance from end-users who did not believe they should be protected.
He said that most Nigerians still perceived the life safety system based on what they had hitherto known about the federal fire system, but added that with all the infrastructure and expertise, the response to fire emergencies would now be swifter.
The expert said that his organisation had been engaging in various forms of enlightenment and media outreach, as well as training to educate the masses on the importance of the life safety system.
Mr. Oladimeji said that with this system, the level of response would increase significantly, largely due to effective communication in the event of fire disasters.
(NAN)
