FG moves to make 112 Nigeria’s single emergency number for police, fire, crashes and medical crises

• FG is moving to make 112 Nigeria’s single emergency number.

• The number will cover fires, crashes, medical and security emergencies.

• VP Shettima directed agencies to finalise a nationwide rollout plan.

The Federal Government has begun moves to make 112 Nigeria’s single national emergency number, with the line expected to connect Nigerians to help during security threats, fires, road crashes and medical emergencies.

Vice President Kashim Shettima gave the directive on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at a stakeholders’ meeting on the National Emergency Number 112 Project in Abuja.

The directive requires relevant government agencies to develop a comprehensive operational roadmap for the nationwide rollout of the emergency number.

The committee working on the plan includes the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), among other agencies, and is expected to finalise the roadmap and standard operating procedures for formal endorsement by the National Economic Council (NEC). 

The move aims to address Nigeria’s fragmented emergency response system, where different agencies and jurisdictions operate separate channels for receiving and responding to emergencies.

The Federal Government wants 112 to provide Nigerians with a simple and reliable way to request emergency assistance without first having to determine which agency is responsible for a particular incident.

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu said the Nigeria Police Force supports the adoption of 112 as the unified national emergency number.

READ MORE: Save these numbers now — Nigerian Police release contacts to report any police misconduct and officers without name tags

According to him, a person facing an armed attack, accident, fire outbreak, medical emergency, kidnapping or another life-threatening situation should not have to spend valuable time deciding which agency to contact.

The government’s plan is for one number to connect the caller to the appropriate emergency response.

The National Economic Council approved the adoption of 112 in April 2026 as Nigeria’s national emergency number across all levels of government and relevant agencies. NEC said the decision was intended to strengthen emergency response and reduce delays caused by bureaucratic bottlenecks. 

However, 112 is not a newly introduced emergency number. The number has existed in Nigeria, but the current initiative is focused on coordination, standard operating procedures, institutional responsibilities and nationwide implementation.

The government had earlier said the Nigerian Communications Commission had established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres across the country to support the initiative.

The Federal Government now wants to make it easier for Nigerians to know which number to call when lives or property are at risk.