The Abia State government started building a modern fire service headquarters in Umuahia on Oct. 28, as part of its reforms to improve emergency response across the state.
Chukwunenye Alajemba, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security, Fire and Emergency Services, shared this during a session with journalists in Umuahia. He said Governor Alex Otti ordered the project to replace the old, rundown fire station that had lasted for decades.
“The governor has decided that the state’s emergency services should be second to none. He ordered the demolition of the old fire station because it was falling apart and had never been maintained,” Alajemba said.
He explained that the new complex will act as a full emergency headquarters. The facility will hold 10 fire trucks, a small medical emergency clinic, and an integrated communication and dispatch centre with modern tech.
“This place will have the dispatch call centre. The system we’re designing will allow us to track incidents in real time, using drone and satellite technology. It will also enable hospitals to prepare for emergencies even before patients arrive,” he said.
Alajemba added that the facility will run an end-to-end response network, connecting emergency calls to nearby hospitals, ambulances, and fire units—a first in the state.
“For instance, if there’s an accident and there is a bone fracture case, we can geolocate a hospital specialised in orthopedic cases and inform it instantly while the ambulance is still on its way. The hospital will know the exact time the patient will arrive,” he said.
He also revealed that new firefighting trucks have been ordered to increase the state’s capacity. “The governor actually ordered some new firefighting trucks to be delivered—about two for now—before December, and more will come as funds become available,” Alajemba said.
He stressed that the project is fully paid for by the Abia government and will help protect the state’s growing infrastructure and investments. Alajemba urged residents to back the administration by buying certified fire extinguishers for homes and businesses.
He is hopeful that with the governor’s help, Abia will soon have one of Nigeria’s most responsive and tech-savvy emergency systems.
The project contractor, Munachiso Okorocha, said the building meets international standards. “This structure is supposed to accommodate 10 fire trucks, and at any point in time, we will have at least seven or eight trucks ready to attend to fire hazards and other emergencies,” he said.
Okorocha described the building as a ground floor and first floor setup, built to handle the heavy weight of fire trucks. He added that construction will take 28 weeks, with completion in the first quarter of 2026.
