Nigeria’s national emergency number, 112, has come under scrutiny after it failed to connect during a live television demonstration by Channels Television presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, despite assurances by an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Alwan Hassan, that the service was operational.
The incident occurred on Tuesday during an appearance by Hassan, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, on the station’s Politics Today programme.
While highlighting what he described as achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Hassan cited the emergency number as an improved service designed to connect Nigerians in distress with relevant response agencies.
He challenged Okinbaloye to dial 112 during the programme, insisting that the call would connect to emergency operators.
“Take your phone and call 112. Nobody knows about this. We used to hear it in America, 911. Call 112 now, put it on the speaker, and they’ll ask you what’s your emergency,” he said.
However, when the presenter dialled the number, the call failed to connect.
“This number is not working,” Okinbaloye said.
Hassan initially suggested that the failure might be caused by poor network connection, maintaining that the service was functional and that he had successfully called the number on previous occasions.
The presenter, however, countered the explanation, noting that other calls were connecting from the same location. He also said viewers were sending messages indicating that they were unable to reach the emergency line.
Explaining how the system was designed to operate, Hassan said calls to 112 would be received at emergency communication centres in the callers’ respective locations, where operators would assess the situation and contact the appropriate agencies.
He said medical emergencies would be referred to ambulance services, while security-related incidents would be forwarded to the nearest police station.
Hassan also disclosed that the government was developing a system that would enable emergency centres to identify callers’ locations through a dashboard, reducing the need for people in distress to provide their addresses.
According to him, the emergency communication centre in Abuja was ready, but Tinubu had directed that it should not be launched until centres across the country were properly aligned.
He expressed optimism that the nationwide arrangement would be completed by March 2027.
When Okinbaloye suggested that the emergency number was among government initiatives yet to become fully functional, Hassan appealed for more time.
“We’ll fulfil them. We’ll fulfil them with time. This is why we’re asking for more time,” he said.
The Federal Government had earlier directed relevant agencies, including the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigeria Police Force, National Emergency Management Agency and Federal Road Safety Corps, to develop an operational roadmap for the nationwide rollout of the emergency number.
The National Economic Council had approved 112 as Nigeria’s single universal toll-free emergency number, intended to provide access to assistance during medical, security, fire and other emergencies.
The failed demonstration has renewed questions about the accessibility and reliability of the emergency response system, particularly whether Nigerians can depend on the number when faced with life-threatening situations.
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