FG Sets up Committee to Operationalise 112 as Nigeria’s Toll-Free Emergency Number

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A committee has been constituted by the federal government to design a comprehensive operational roadmap for the nationwide rollout of the 112 national emergency number.

The team comprises the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies.

The group is to finalise the roadmap and standard operating procedures for formal endorsement by the National Economic Council (NEC).

The Vice President, Mr Kashim Shettima, tasked the committee to ensure its decisions are based on global best practices for a clear roadmap.

The nation’s number two citizen emphasised the need to make significant progress, assuring that once it becomes visible, resources will be available to fund the process.

Recall that a few months ago, NEC approved the adoption of 112 as the national emergency number at all levels and across relevant agencies, as part of measures to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency lifeline and build a unified and coordinated national response to emergencies.

“This is not only a technical reform. It is a test of the state’s humanity. In moments of fire, accident, robbery, medical emergency, flood, violence, or panic, citizens do not need bureaucracy.

“They need a response. They need to know one number to call, one system to trust, and one coordinated chain of action that moves quickly enough to save lives,” Mr Shettima, who chairs NEC, said.