Senate proposes single nationwide toll-free emergency number

The Senate has moved a step closer to reforming Nigeria’s emergency response system with the consideration of a bill seeking to establish a single, toll-free national emergency number for all citizens. The proposed legislation, titled A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Emergency Toll Service (NETS), scaled second reading during plenary on Tuesday.

Sponsor of the bill, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), said the intention is to replace Nigeria’s multiple emergency helplines with one unified three-digit number, likely “112,” depending on recommendations from the public hearing. He told lawmakers that Nigeria’s current system, which involves separate numbers for the police, fire service, ambulances, domestic violence desks, child protection units and disaster agencies, has created widespread confusion during emergencies.

Yar’Adua said the reform would ensure that “calls and text messages will be routed automatically to the nearest emergency response centre,” noting that the system would leverage the country’s nearly 90 per cent mobile phone penetration to guarantee accessibility.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin described the bill as a timely intervention, saying it would “significantly improve public safety once implemented.”

The bill was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Communications, with a directive to submit its report within four weeks.

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