Federal Government of Nigeria has approved 112 as Nigeria’s unified National Emergency Number for reporting fire, robbery, medical emergencies, and other crises.
The decision was reached at the 157th virtual meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday. The new emergency number was announced by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President.
The government also approved a multi-agency implementation committee to be jointly led by the Office of the Vice President and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to drive nationwide rollout and adoption.
The Council directed the Ministry of Finance to expedite release of approved funds for key national projects, including the rehabilitation of police training institutions to boost internal security infrastructure.
Speaking at the meeting, VP Shettima said the single emergency number would cut delays and save lives.
“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,” Shettima said.
“They need 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.”
He noted that while emergency response systems exist, they need “coordination, adoption, standard operating procedures, public awareness, institutional ownership, and trust.”
Shettima described NEC as the “economic engine room” where federal and state governments must jointly deliver the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We cannot build our way to a one-trillion-dollar economy by federal effort alone. We cannot create millions of jobs by speeches alone,” he said.
“History will not ask how many meetings we held. It will ask what changed because we met. It will ask whether our decisions reached the farmer, the manufacturer, the artist, the investor, the accident victim, the unemployed graduate, and the child waiting to inherit the country we are rebuilding.”
The 112 number will harmonise Nigeria’s fragmented emergency communication systems into a single, accessible channel nationwide. A multi-agency coordination framework will link security agencies, medical services, disaster response units, and regulators for seamless response.
The government also reviewed presentations on police training institution rehabilitation, polio eradication, the Renewed Hope Cultural Project, and industrial policy.
On police training, the Council commended the ad hoc committee led by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and directed the Finance Ministry to fast-track remaining funds, ensuring equitable spread across geopolitical zones.