The Senate on Tuesday took a serious step towards strengthening Nigeria’s emergency response system by contemplating a invoice searching for to ascertain a uniform, toll-free nationwide emergency quantity accessible to residents throughout all states.
The proposed laws, titled “A Invoice for an Act to Set up the Nationwide Emergency Toll Service (NETS) to Present Uniform, Accessible and Speedy Emergency Response By means of a Devoted Toll-Free Quantity Nationwide, to Empower the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC) because the Regulator, and for Associated Issues, 2025 (SB 402),” handed second studying.
Main debate on the invoice, Abdulaziz Yar’adua (Katsina Central) stated the proposed legislation goals to harmonise Nigeria’s quite a few emergency strains into one simply memorable three-digit quantity, corresponding to 112 or one other choice to be finalised after the general public listening to.
He famous that globally recognised emergency numbers like 999 in the UK (launched in 1937) and 911 in america (established in 1968) have saved numerous lives by simplifying entry to emergency providers.
India’s unified emergency quantity, he added, turned operational in 2014.
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Yar’adua defined that Nigeria presently operates a number of helplines managed by the police, hearth service, ambulance items, home violence companies, baby safety centres, and state catastrophe response providers.
Lagos State alone, he stated, runs a number of toll-free emergency numbers managed by totally different companies, a scenario senators described as complicated and inefficient throughout life-threatening emergencies.
In keeping with him, the invoice would make sure that calls or textual content messages despatched to the nationwide emergency line are mechanically routed to the closest purposeful emergency response centre, leveraging the truth that almost 90% of Nigerians use cellphones.
Ali Ndume (Borno South) strongly backed the proposal, calling it “well timed, crucial, and urgently wanted.”
He argued that one of many largest contributors to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity is the absence of a coordinated communication channel between residents and safety companies.
“If we do that, we might be enhancing our safety structure and contributing considerably to fixing the criminalities affecting the nation,” Ndume stated, urging swift passage and implementation.
Additionally supporting the invoice, Senator Tahir Monguno (Borno North) stated unified emergency communication is important in a interval marked by “grave safety challenges throughout the nation.”
He burdened that whereas safety companies regularly urge residents to report suspicious behaviour, the federal government should present a easy and accessible means for doing so.
“This invoice offers muscular expression to the necessity for most of the people to report what they see,” Monguno stated, including {that a} devoted toll-free nationwide line would remove the present confusion created by a number of emergency numbers.
In his remarks, Jibrin Barau, the Deputy Senate who presided over the session, thanked the sponsor and contributors, describing the initiative as one that may “actually assist the folks of this nation as soon as carried out.”
The invoice was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Communications for additional legislative motion, with a directive to report again inside 4 weeks.
If handed and signed into legislation, the invoice will empower the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC) to control the system, coordinate emergency response companies, and guarantee seamless, nationwide entry to emergency providers.
