The National Economic Council (NEC) has officially approved the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s universal National Emergency Number across all levels of government and relevant agencies.
This landmark decision is aimed at consolidating the country’s emergency lifelines into a singular, coordinated response system to enhance public safety.
The approval was granted during the 157th NEC meeting, which was held virtually on Thursday and presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
To oversee the rollout, the Council also sanctioned the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee and a coordination program led by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Highlighting the urgency of the reform, Vice President Shettima emphasized that a unified emergency number is essential to eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks that often delay life-saving interventions.
He noted that during crises, citizens require immediate action rather than administrative hurdles.
“This is not only a technical reform, it is a test of the state’s humanity,” the Vice President stated. “In moments of fire, accident, robbery, medical emergency, flood, violence, or panic, citizens do not need bureaucracy. They need a response.”
Shettima further explained that the objective is to provide a system that Nigerians can trust implicitly. By having a single, memorable number to call, the government intends to create a coordinated chain of action capable of moving swiftly enough to save lives across the federation.
The transition to the 112 lifeline is expected to synchronize the efforts of various emergency responders including the police, fire service, and medical teams into a one-stop system, bringing Nigeria in line with global best practices for disaster management and internal security.
