Pestra Tech Day 2026 Addresses Fire Safety, Intelligent Security

On the fourth annual Pestra Tech Day in Lagos, Nigeria, experts gathered to address fire safety and intelligent security in the built environment. Hosted by Pestra Ltd, the event aimed to explore how stronger standards, advanced technologies, and emerging innovations could enhance building safety, intelligence, and resilience.

Opening remarks emphasized that Pestra Tech Day was not just a product showcase but a platform for examining technology's practical applications, bringing together professionals who design, specify, regulate, deploy, and utilize critical safety, security, and communication systems.

The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Mr. S.A. Olumode, delivered a keynote address on "Closing the Fire and Life Safety Gap in Nigeria's Built Environment." He highlighted the importance of narrowing the gap between modern building requirements and the necessary systems, practices, and professional capacity to protect lives and property. Olumode emphasized the need to consider safety systems throughout a building's life, from design to maintenance and use.

Following the policy discussion, Mr. Theo Everaers, Managing Director of Telecom – Pneumatic Tube Systems in the Netherlands, presented pneumatic tube technology and its application in improving internal logistics and workflows in modern healthcare environments.

Hanwha Vision's Regional Manager for Africa, Mr. Abbassy Omar, discussed the growing role of artificial intelligence in security operations. He showcased advancements in intelligent video surveillance, video analytics, license plate recognition, thermal imaging, and other technologies that aid in threat detection, situational awareness, and effective incident response.

The conversation then shifted to cyber risks associated with connected buildings and edge systems. Specialist Adoption Architect at Red Hat, Mr. Francis Anyaegbu, warned about the expanding front line of enterprise risk due to increasingly connected devices. He highlighted the growing threat of data breaches, deepfakes, shadow AI, and the potential impact of quantum computing on conventional encryption.

Anyaegbu advocated for moving beyond traditional perimeter-based controls towards open, quantum-safe architectures built on digital trust, rapid defense capabilities, and stronger visibility over automated AI agents and connected systems.

Returning to fire and life safety, Mr. Ziad Hafez, Senior Territory Manager at Honeywell Technologies, highlighted developments in Honeywell's life-safety portfolios. He discussed advanced fire detection, intelligent alarm systems, and connected life-safety solutions designed to provide earlier warnings, faster emergency response, and more resilient buildings.

Hafez also emphasized Honeywell's collaboration with Pestra to strengthen access to its technologies in Nigeria, ensuring a reliable local channel for genuine products backed by technical support and after-sales service.