THE Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Thursday, announced a landmark welfare policy approved by President Bola Tinubu, which guarantees lifetime salary benefits to senior officers retiring from the rank of Deputy Controller, Comptroller, or Commandant-General and above.
News Point Nigeria reports that the minister made the announcement while speaking at the 2025 Ministerial Retreat in Abuja, where he presented the achievements of the Interior Ministry and reaffirmed its commitment to institutional reforms and capacity building across its agencies.
The beneficiary paramilitary bodies under the Ministry of Interior are; the Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The development was contained in a statement issued by the National PRO/Head of Corporate Services of the Federal Fire Service, DCF P.O. Abraham, following the retreat.
“The minister expressed profound appreciation to President Tinubu for his unwavering support, affirming that all agencies under the Ministry of Interior are reaping the benefits of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the statement read.
Highlighting recent achievements, Tunji-Ojo revealed that the ministry had cleared a long-standing backlog of promotions, ensuring that over 50,000 officers have been elevated within the past two years alone.
He explained that going forward, promotion and progression would no longer be based merely on seniority, but on capacity and performance, stressing that the ministry is determined to entrench a merit-driven system.
In line with efforts to boost institutional performance, the minister announced that new training manuals had been developed to upgrade officer skills and professionalism.
He further disclosed that the ministry had commenced the construction of a world-class Fire Academy, designed to match the standards of international institutions such as the Arizona Fire Academy.
Beyond physical infrastructure, Tunji-Ojo emphasised the importance of mental health in the workplace, assuring officers that the ministry is prioritising their psychological well-being as part of broader welfare reforms.
Tunji-Ojo also charged the Federal Fire Service to deepen engagement with the private sector, stressing that such collaborations were critical to improving service delivery, modernising firefighting operations, and advancing infrastructure development across the country.
According to him, leveraging public-private partnerships would accelerate the ministry’s mission to deliver globally competitive security and safety institutions.
