The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s unified national emergency number across all levels of government and relevant agencies, in a move aimed at strengthening emergency response coordination nationwide.
The decision was taken at the 157th NEC meeting held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
As part of the resolution, NEC also approved the creation of a multi-agency implementation committee and programme coordination structure to be jointly led by the Office of the Vice President and the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Speaking at the meeting, Shettima said the adoption of 112 is designed to eliminate delays caused by bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensure rapid response during emergencies such as fires, accidents, insecurity, flooding, and medical crises.
He stressed that the reform is not merely technical but a measure of the state’s responsiveness, noting that citizens in distress require immediate action rather than administrative processes.
According to him, while Nigeria already has emergency numbers in place, the priority now is full coordination, standard operating procedures, public awareness, institutional ownership, and trust in the system.
The Vice President also described NEC as a critical platform for translating the administration’s economic agenda into tangible outcomes across all tiers of government, urging members to focus on policies that directly improve citizens’ lives.
He added that sustainable economic growth and job creation cannot be achieved without effective collaboration between federal and state governments.
NEC also received a progress report on the rehabilitation of police training institutions nationwide, presented by an ad hoc committee led by Governor Peter Mbah. The council commended the committee’s work and urged the Ministry of Finance to expedite the release of remaining funds to ensure timely implementation across all geopolitical zones.
