In a decisive move to bolster Nigeria’s emergency response system, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the appointment of Adeyemi Olumode as the new Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) on July 30, 2025.
A seasoned public servant and career firefighter with over two decades of hands-on experience, Olumode’s rise through the ranks, from frontline emergency responder in the Federal Capital Territory to Deputy Controller-General; reflects a lifetime of service, courage, and reform-minded leadership. His appointment, effective August 14, 2025, marks the beginning of a new era in Nigeria’s fire safety administration, one that many stakeholders hope will bring professionalism, transparency, and strategic upgrades to a sector often plagued by outdated infrastructure and reactive systems.
Adeyemi Olumode hails from Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area in Kogi State, he represents not only continuity within the service but also the potential for transformative leadership at a critical time for national safety and disaster management.
Adeyemi Olumode Biography
Olumode Samuel Adeyemi (also referred to as Adeyemi Olumode) is an indigene of Kogi State (from Kabba/Bunu Local Government). He holds an MBA and has earned professional accounting and administration credentials (e.g. FCNA, FCIA, ACTI, MDRM) affiliations reflected in his membership of bodies such as the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria and the Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria.
These memberships and fellowships attest to his academic and professional qualifications in accounting, corporate governance, public administration and finance.
Fire Service Career
Olumode’s fire-service career spans over two decades. He began in the late 1990s as a frontline firefighter with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service. In that period he responded to major urban and industrial fires, earning a reputation for hands-on courage and competence.
After gaining field experience in Abuja, he transferred to the Federal Fire Service (FFS) and steadily rose through the ranks. Over time Olumode served in diverse operational, command and administrative roles, from fire station leadership to headquarters posts; exposing him to strategic planning, personnel management and logistics within the Service.
Before his promotion to Controller-General, he held senior leadership as a Deputy Controller-General. Official releases note that he headed the Human Resources Directorate at FFS Headquarters. (Techpress accounts also report he once oversaw Operations and Strategy as a DCG.)
Throughout his career he completed all required in-service training and command courses (locally and abroad). He has earned multiple commendations: for example, he received meritorious service awards from the Federal Ministry of Interior and numerous praise from colleagues for his professionalism.
Career Milestones
Olumode’s progression includes many milestones. He was Deputy Controller-General (DCG) at FFS for several years, eventually attaining the rank of DCG in charge of the Human Resources Directorate. In that capacity he helped design and implement major officer retraining and capacity-building programmes nationwide, aiming to upgrade firefighter skills across all zones. He also championed initiatives to strengthen fire safety regulations including advocating legislative changes to empower the FFS with authority over fire audits in public and private buildings. These efforts reflect his emphasis on preventive education and institutional reform.
Aside from uniformed duties, Olumode has served on various boards and committees within the Interior Ministry’s security cluster. His broad experience in budgeting, procurement and administration underlined by memberships in the Institute of Corporate Administration and Chartered Institute of Treasury Management, signal his versatility beyond firefighting alone . (There are no public reports of him holding roles outside the fire service before this appointment.)
Appointment as Controller-General
On July 30, 2025, President Bola Tinubu approved the appointment of Deputy Controller-General Adeyemi Olumode as the new substantive Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service. The announcement was made by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) via its secretary, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibril (Rtd), on behalf of the federal government. The appointment takes effect 14 August 2025.
This succession follows the scheduled retirement of the incumbent, Engr. Abdulganiyu “Olola” Jaji, who will retire on 13 August 2025 upon reaching the mandatory age of 60. In official statements, Maj. Gen. Jibril explained that Olumode was chosen “based on his qualifications and years of service,” having completed all mandatory training courses.
The leadership transition was widely reported as orderly: SaharaReporters noted that Tinubu “approved the leadership transition ahead of Jaji’s scheduled retirement on August 13, 2025”.
Role and Mandate
As Controller-General, Adeyemi Olumode will be the chief executive of Nigeria’s Federal Fire Service under the Ministry of Interior. He inherits leadership of an agency charged with fire prevention, firefighting and emergency response nationwide. His responsibilities include enforcing fire-safety regulations, coordinating rescue and response to fire and related disasters, training and equipping firefighters, and managing the Service’s budget and personnel.
Official sources emphasize continuity and reform: the CDCFIB press release noted that he brings “a wealth of experience” from his rise through the FFS hierarchy, suggesting he will continue efforts to improve operational readiness. During his tenure as DCG, Olumode was involved in officer retraining and capacity-building programmes across the country and in public fire-prevention awareness initiatives.
These experiences and his professional affiliations in accounting and administration will inform his mandate to strengthen the Service’s technical capacity, training standards and financial management. Observers expect he will be tasked with addressing long-standing issues in the FFS (such as equipment shortages and response times) by professionalizing operations and updating safety protocols.
Official Remarks and Reactions
Government officials and stakeholders have generally welcomed Olumode’s appointment. In Abuja, the CDCFIB and Ministry of Interior made only the formal announcement, expressing confidence in his leadership. In their public statement, the Board thanked outgoing CG Jaji for “remarkable contributions” and said they are “confident in his Olumode’s capacity to lead the Service into a new era of professionalism and performance”.
Locally, the Kogi State government (his home state) issued warm congratulations. The State Commissioner for Information described the promotion as “a well-deserved recognition of Mr. Olumode’s dedication, hard work, and professionalism,” and praised President Tinubu for continuing to trust “the capacity of Kogi people to contribute significantly to the nation’s growth”.
Governor Ahmed Ododo also pledged full state support, saying Adeyemi Olumode’s leadership will further enhance Kogi’s image nationally. In sum, Kogi’s officials framed the appointment as a point of pride and evidence of President Tinubu’s confidence in the state’s professionals.
Not all public reaction was celebratory. Some observers noted regional politics:
Former Senator Shehu Sani (Northwest) quipped on social media that “other regions are not struggling over this position,” since Olumode is from the South West and no objections have been raised.
This remark highlighted a narrative of regional balance (Adeyemi Olumode being a Southerner) but elicited little official follow-up. Overall, media commentary has pointed to optimism among fire-service analysts, who welcome a hands-on, professionally experienced leader.
Disaster management experts (quoted in analysis publications) say Olumode’s “field-tested experience” and administrative acumen could transform the FFS’s credibility, and his transparency and efficiency-focused style could address past problems.
Leadership Style, Reforms and Achievements
In his previous roles, Adeyemi Olumode has been portrayed as a reform-minded, operationally focused leader. He earned a reputation for a hands-on approach during crises and an emphasis on improving training.
Under his watch as DCG, the Federal Fire Service executed “one of the most expansive retraining programmes in its history,” targeting thousands of officers nationwide. He also pushed for legislative reforms to give the FFS new regulatory powers (for example, requiring fire-safety audits in buildings). His peers describe him as combining technical firefighting know-how with strong public-administration skills.
In interviews and comments, colleagues highlight his commitment to capacity-building, transparency and accountability. Although Adeyemi Olumode is newly appointed, his record including meritorious service awards from the Interior Ministry suggests he will seek to modernize the Service’s equipment, decentralize emergency response, and deepen community fire-safety education.
The Federal Fire Services itself has said he will “bring a wealth of experience” to the post, and stakeholders expect his tenure to focus on rebuilding morale and effectiveness after years of underfunding.
Personal Life
Little is publicly known about Adeyemi Olumode’s personal or family life. It is known that he hails from Kabba/Bunu LGA in Kogi State, and he appears to be a career public servant. There is no record in open sources of political or business roles outside his fire-service career.
He is the first non-Oduduwa South-Westera to head the FFS in recent memory, and his network of professional affiliations (accountancy, administration and treasury institutes) points to a background as a civil-service professional. (He has not held any elected office or partisan political position.)
