Appraising fire safety management in facilities of Nigerian public higher education institutions: Operators’ perspectives on readiness and emergency response

Information from the abstract

Purpose The aftermath of fire damage to public facilities has highlighted the need for fire safety management in public higher education institutions (PHEIs) in developing countries. How prepared are PHEI fire safety management operators to respond to an emergency? This may be challenging. Studies examining the factors affecting operators' readiness for fire emergency response in Nigeria's PHEI facilities are scarce. This study investigated the factors hindering operators' readiness for fire safety emergency response in Nigeria's PHEI facilities and proposed measures, drawing on Malaysia's experience in proactive efforts to prevent or mitigate fire accidents in PHEI facilities. Design/methodology/approach This study utilised a qualitative method to accomplish the objectives. The researchers also utilised data from 48 interviewees selected through a convenience sampling technique and achieved saturation. The researchers employed thematic analysis to analyse the data. Findings The factors hindering operators' readiness for fire safety management plans in PHEI facilities were clustered into the following categories: policymakers/design approval agencies; construction practitioners (contractors and consultants); operators (firefighters); PHEI management; and PHEI students-related factors. These factors threaten the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) if left unmitigated. The findings also show that implementing measures to address these hindrances would improve operators' and other stakeholders' readiness for fire safety management, including emergency response in Nigeria's PHEI facilities. Originality/value Beyond the findings, reawakening operators’ and other stakeholders’ readiness for fire safety management by implementing the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act 2025 would improve fire safety in PHEI facilities and, by extension, enhance the achievement of quality education (SDG 4).

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Related topics: Disaster Management and Resilience · Fire dynamics and safety research · Educational Systems and Policies