A philanthropist and engineer, Dr. Azibola Robert, has commissioned a privately built, fully functional firefighting facility at his Abuja residence, describing it as his personal contribution to enhancing emergency response and strengthening community safety in the Federal Capital Territory.
Dr. Robert, who disclosed the development on his Facebook page, said the project — designed and executed by him and his technical team — was undertaken with the close supervision and technical guidance of the Abuja Fire Service.
According to him, the firefighting plant, though primarily built for the protection of his household, will also serve his immediate neighbourhood in the event of any fire outbreak.
“This facility is built for my family’s personal use, and to help out my neighbours and neighbourhood in the unlikely event of fire outbreak in their buildings,” he stated.
The multipurpose installation includes a massive underground water reservoir capable of loading 12 water trucks of 10,000 litres each, amounting to 120,000 litres ready for deployment during emergencies. Dr. Robert noted that the water capacity enables him to support fire response efforts anywhere within Maitama and surrounding districts, should the Fire Service require additional reinforcement.
Officials of the Abuja Fire Service, who regularly supervised the construction phase, reportedly commended the project, noting that similar initiatives by well-meaning individuals across Nigerian cities would significantly reduce emergency response time and limit the devastating losses caused by fire incidents.
Dr. Robert expressed appreciation to his staff for their dedication throughout the project, describing the achievement as a milestone in proactive community safety.
“A lawyer who took time to practice engineering,” he said jokingly about himself, while praising his team for manufacturing the water system designed “to put out fire and put out worries.”
The newly commissioned facility is already drawing public commendation, with many describing it as a model of private-sector initiative and civic responsibility in disaster preparedness.