The Federal Government has said it will engage state governors and emergency response agencies to finalise plans for the nationwide adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s single emergency telephone number.
The move was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha.
The statement followed a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and a delegation from the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The engagement came days after the National Economic Council, NEC, chaired by the Vice President, approved the adoption of 112 as the national emergency number across all levels of government and relevant agencies.
The initiative is aimed at building a unified, coordinated and reliable national emergency response system for security, health, fire, accident, disaster and other distress situations.
At the meeting, Shettima directed the NCC to develop a clear roadmap for implementing the initiative across the country.
He also directed the Commission to work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and other emergency response institutions to strengthen coordination and ensure that calls made through the 112 platform receive prompt response.
According to the statement, the Vice President assured the NCC delegation that the project would be sustained, adding that the required funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and private sector support.
“He assured the delegation that the project would be sustained, noting that the required funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and the private sector.
“The Vice President also called for high-level engagement and commitment from emergency responders to drive the successful implementation of the 112 initiative,” the statement read.
Shettima said the success of the emergency number would depend not only on technology, but also on institutional coordination, public awareness, state government support and the readiness of response agencies.
The Vice President stressed that Nigerians in distress should be able to call one number and receive swift assistance without being delayed by bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Earlier, Olorunnimbe said the NCC had already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres across the country.
He, however, called for stronger support from state governments and emergency agencies to keep the centres operational and effective.
According to him, governors, the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services, NEMA and other response agencies must work together to ensure that people in distress receive timely assistance.
“Everyone is expected to buy into this initiative and recognise its importance. It is a patriotic duty to our country to ensure that anyone in distress can get the help they need in a very swift manner,” Olorunnimbe said.
The adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s single emergency number is expected to reduce confusion caused by multiple emergency lines and improve coordination among security, medical, fire and disaster response agencies.
The Federal Government said the goal is to create one trusted national emergency lifeline that Nigerians can call during emergencies anywhere in the country.
With the latest directive, state governments and emergency agencies are expected to play a central role in activating, funding and sustaining the system at the sub-national level.
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