By Okojie Annabelle Ofure
September 10 2026
The Federal Government has stepped up plans to establish 112 as Nigeria’s unified national emergency number, directing key response agencies to develop a comprehensive framework for its nationwide implementation.
Vice President Kashim Shettima issued the directive during a meeting on the National Emergency Number 112 Project, where he charged stakeholders with producing a practical roadmap and standard operating procedures for the system.
A committee comprising the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Communications Commission, National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps and other relevant agencies has been constituted to complete the framework for formal consideration by the National Economic Council.
The initiative follows the NEC’s approval of 112 as Nigeria’s single toll-free emergency line, designed to replace the multiple emergency channels currently operated by different agencies and simplify access to urgent assistance.
Once operational nationwide, the system is expected to improve coordination and response to emergencies such as road crashes, fires, medical crises, security threats and other situations requiring immediate intervention.
Shettima urged members of the committee to draw on international best practices and ensure the implementation plan delivers a reliable and coordinated response system. He also assured stakeholders that necessary resources would be provided as progress is made.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important step towards giving Nigerians a simple and dependable means of seeking emergency assistance.
He noted that victims of incidents such as armed attacks, accidents, fires, kidnappings and medical emergencies often face the additional difficulty of identifying the right agency to contact, stressing that a single access point would help address the problem.
Earlier, the Presidential aide on e-Governance, Lydia Aina, said Nigeria’s emergency response architecture remains fragmented across agencies, systems and jurisdictions.
She explained that the government’s focus was not merely on assigning a number, but on building the institutional structure, standards, personnel and inter-agency coordination required to ensure that calls to 112 translate into timely and effective responses.
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