FG BEGINS PLANS TO ROLL OUT 112 NATIONAL EMERGENCY NUMBER
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Federal Government has begun moves to operationalise Nigeria’s 112 national emergency number nationwide.
Vice President Kashim Shettima directed relevant agencies to develop a roadmap for the rollout during a stakeholders’ meeting on the National Emergency Number 112 Project in Abuja.
Shettima tasked the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other agencies with finalising the roadmap and standard operating procedures for the project.
The 112 number, approved as Nigeria’s single toll-free emergency line, is expected to provide Nigerians with faster access to emergency services during accidents, fire outbreaks, medical emergencies and security incidents.
The Vice President assured stakeholders of government funding for the implementation and urged them to adopt international best practices.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, expressed the police’s support for the initiative, describing it as a major step towards providing Nigerians with easier and more reliable access to emergency services.