The Federal Government has taken a major step toward improving emergency response services by directing the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to develop a roadmap for adopting 112 as Nigeria’s single, unified national emergency number.
Vice President Kashim Shettima issued the directive during a meeting with the Chairman of the NCC Governing Board, Idris Olorunnimbe, and members of the commission at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The move follows the approval of the initiative by the National Economic Council (NEC), which also established a multi-agency implementation committee to be coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and the NCC.
Shettima stressed that the success of the 112 emergency initiative depends on the full commitment of all emergency response agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), state governments, and other relevant stakeholders.
He also directed the NCC to work closely with NEMA, citing the agency’s expertise in disaster management, emergency response, relief, and rehabilitation. The Vice President assured that funding for the initiative would be mobilised through the NEC and private-sector partnerships.
Speaking at the meeting, NCC Governing Board Chairman Idris Olorunnimbe revealed that the commission has already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres across the country, laying the technological foundation for the nationwide rollout of the unified emergency line.
He, however, noted that the project’s success hinges on stronger collaboration from state governments and seamless coordination among all emergency response agencies to ensure that distress calls are promptly routed to the appropriate authorities.
Modelled after internationally recognised emergency systems used across the European Union and several other countries, the 112 initiative is designed to replace Nigeria’s fragmented emergency contact system with a single, easy-to-remember number that will connect citizens to the appropriate emergency responders in real time.
