FG Moves to Roll Out 112 as Nigeria’s Unified National Emergency Number
The Federal Government has directed relevant agencies and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the nationwide rollout of 112 as Nigeria’s single, universal toll-free emergency number.
The directive was given by Vice President Kashim Shettima during a stakeholders’ meeting on the National Emergency Number 112 Project in Abuja.
The Federal Government also constituted a committee comprising the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies to finalise the operational roadmap and standard operating procedures for presentation to the National Economic Council (NEC) for formal endorsement.
The adoption of 112, recently approved by NEC, is aimed at replacing Nigeria’s fragmented emergency response lines with a single number that citizens can easily call during fires, road crashes, medical emergencies, security incidents, kidnapping and other life-threatening situations.
Speaking at the meeting, Shettima urged the committee to develop the framework in line with global best practices and ensure that the initiative moves quickly from planning to implementation.
“Let’s make progress so that whatever time we have spent here is worth spending. And most importantly, the engine is finance. It is resources to drive the process. And I want to assure you that we will get the resources,” the Vice President said.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, expressed the full support of the Nigeria Police Force for the unified emergency number, describing it as a significant step towards providing Nigerians with a simple and reliable channel for accessing emergency assistance.
He noted that citizens confronted with emergencies should not have to determine which government agency to contact before receiving help.
“If a citizen is facing an armed attack, accident, fire outbreak, medical emergency, kidnapping or any other life-threatening situation, one number should provide access to the appropriate response,” Disu said.
Earlier, the Personal Assistant to the President on e-Governance in the Office of the Vice President, Mrs. Lydia Aina, said Nigeria’s emergency response system currently involves multiple agencies, systems and jurisdictions, resulting in fragmentation in the way emergencies are received and coordinated.
She said the objective of the 112 project was to create an integrated national emergency response framework supported by clearly defined responsibilities, standards and procedures.
“Our job now is to turn it into an actual working programme with milestones. So, we have identified six immediate priorities. First, governance. We need a clear structure of who’s responsible for what,” Aina said.
Other stakeholders who pledged their support included the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar; Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed; and Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.
The nationwide adoption of 112 is expected to strengthen coordination among emergency response agencies, reduce delays and make it easier for Nigerians to access urgent assistance through a single, toll-free number.
FG Moves to Roll Out 112 as Nigeria’s Unified National Emergency Number