The Federal Government has begun plans to implement 112 as Nigeria’s unified emergency telephone number, with state governors and emergency response agencies expected to play key roles in the rollout.
The decision follows approval by the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, for the nationwide adoption of 112 as the country’s official emergency contact across all levels of government and relevant institutions.
A delegation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), led by the chairman of its governing board, Idris Olorunnimbe, met with the vice-president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday to discuss the implementation strategy.
According to a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Communications, the initiative is aimed at improving coordination during emergencies and creating a more efficient national response system.
The statement said the policy forms “part of measures to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response system and build a unified, coordinated national response to emergencies.”
As part of the implementation process, NEC approved the creation of a multi-agency committee that will coordinate the project under the supervision of the Office of the Vice-President and the NCC.
During the meeting, Shettima directed that a detailed roadmap be prepared to guide the nationwide rollout of the single emergency number, describing it as a step in line with international best practices.
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He also instructed the NCC to work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), citing the agency’s experience in disaster management, emergency relief and rehabilitation.
The vice-president assured the delegation that the project would receive sustained support, adding that funding would be sourced through NEC as well as partnerships with the private sector.
He further stressed the need for stronger collaboration among emergency response agencies to ensure the success of the initiative.
Earlier, Olorunnimbe informed the vice-president that the NCC had already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across the country through the deployment of technology.
The NCC chairman also expressed appreciation to Shettima for backing the initiative and for promising to engage key stakeholders, including the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), to support its implementation.
He, however, emphasised that the project would only succeed if state governments and emergency agencies fully committed to maintaining the infrastructure and responding effectively to emergency calls.
“Olorunnimbe thanked the vice-president for providing leadership on the initiative and for assuring the commission that relevant stakeholders, including the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), would be engaged to support its implementation,” the statement said.
He added that governors must help sustain the communications centres to keep them fully operational.
“In addition, we also need the full commitment of all the response agencies because if someone calls for police intervention and, for some reason, the call does not reach the police, that person will not receive the help they need,” Olorunnimbe said.
“So, we need commitment at every level of all response agencies—from top to bottom—including the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services across the states, and, at the national level, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“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.”