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Vice-President Kashim Shettima has directed key security, emergency and regulatory agencies to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the nationwide rollout of 112 as Nigeria’s single universal toll-free emergency number.
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The initiative is designed to end the confusion caused by multiple emergency lines and provide Nigerians with one access point for urgent assistance during security incidents, road crashes, fires, medical emergencies and disasters.
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The Nigeria Police Force, NCC, NEMA, FRSC and other agencies will develop standard operating procedures defining how emergency calls are received, coordinated and transferred to the appropriate response agency.
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The Federal Government has pledged funding for the project, while the operational roadmap and procedures will be submitted to the National Economic Council for formal endorsement.
September 09, (THEWILL) — The Federal Government has commenced moves to operationalise 112 as Nigeria’s single national emergency number, directing key security, emergency management and telecommunications agencies to develop a comprehensive roadmap for its nationwide rollout.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima gave the directive on Tuesday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting on the National Emergency Number 112 Project, where he charged participating agencies to move quickly from policy approval to the establishment of a functional and coordinated emergency response system.
The Federal Government said 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 would finalise the operational roadmap and standard operating procedures for the initiative.
The documents are to be submitted to the National Economic Council (NEC) for formal endorsement.
The move follows the recent approval by the NEC of 112 as Nigeria’s single universal toll-free emergency number. The initiative is intended to replace the fragmented emergency response lines operated by different agencies and reduce delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks when citizens require urgent assistance.
Under the proposed system, Nigerians facing emergencies such as armed attacks, kidnapping, road accidents, fires, medical crises and other life-threatening situations would have one number to call, rather than having to determine which agency is responsible for handling a particular incident.
Speaking at the meeting, Shettima directed the committee to draw on global best practices while developing the operational framework, stressing that the project must move beyond policy declarations to practical implementation. He charged the stakeholders to complete the roadmap and standard operating procedures for presentation to the NEC, while emphasising the need for measurable progress.
“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.
His assurance addresses one of the critical requirements for the project — sustained funding for the technology, personnel, communication infrastructure and coordination mechanisms required to operate a nationwide emergency response system.
The Federal Government’s position is that the success of 112 will depend not merely on assigning a three-digit number to the service but on creating the institutional structure capable of ensuring that emergency calls result in rapid and appropriate action.
Police Backs Unified Emergency Line
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu expressed the full support of the Nigeria Police Force for the adoption of 112 as the country’s unified emergency number.
Disu described the initiative as a significant step towards giving Nigerians a simple and reliable means of accessing emergency assistance.
According to him, people confronted with armed attacks, kidnapping, accidents, fires, medical emergencies and other life-threatening situations often face an immediate dilemma over which agency to contact.
He said a single emergency number should remove that burden by providing an access point through which calls can be directed to the agency best equipped to respond.
The police will therefore be among the critical institutions in the proposed framework, particularly in emergencies involving criminal attacks, kidnapping, armed violence and threats to public safety.
FG Targets Integrated Response System
The Personal Assistant to the President on e-Governance in the Office of the Vice-President, Lydia Aina, said the country’s current emergency response structure operates across multiple agencies, systems and jurisdictions.
According to her, the fragmented structure has affected the way emergencies are received, coordinated and responded to, creating the need for a more integrated national framework.
Aina said the government wants to move from fragmented state-level systems through coordinated response and ultimately establish a fully integrated national emergency architecture.
She said the stakeholders’ meeting was focused on building the system behind the emergency number, including the personnel, agencies and operational standards required to ensure that 112 actually works when citizens dial it.
“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”, she said.
NEMA, FRSC, NOA Commit Support
Other government agencies represented at the meeting also pledged their support for the project. They included NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar, FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed and Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu.
Their involvement is expected to strengthen the multi-agency nature of the proposed emergency response system.
NEMA would be central to disaster and emergency management, while the FRSC would have an important role in responding to road crashes and related emergencies. The police would handle security incidents, while the telecommunications regulator would be expected to facilitate the communications architecture required for reliable access to the service.
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