Nigeria’s 112 Emergency Line Fails Live TV Test, Raising Public Safety Concerns
By ESTHER McWILLIS-IKHIDE
NIGERIA’S national emergency number, 112, has faced renewed scrutiny after it failed during a live television demonstration on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme. APC chieftain and Presidential Campaign Council member, Alwan Hassan, had described the service as an operational government achievement.
During the discussion, Hassan challenged the programme’s presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, to dial 112. He insisted that the number would connect callers to emergency operators.
However, the call failed to connect when Okinbaloye tried it on air.
“This number is not working,” the presenter said. He also dismissed poor network coverage as a possible explanation, noting that other calls were connecting from the same location. Meanwhile, viewers reportedly sent messages confirming similar difficulties.
Hassan maintained that the service had worked for him previously. He explained that emergency communication centres would receive calls and direct requests to the appropriate agencies, including ambulance services and the police.
He further disclosed that the government was developing a system to identify callers’ locations through a central dashboard. According to him, this would reduce the burden on people in distress to explain their whereabouts.
Although Hassan said the Abuja emergency communication centre was ready, he added that President Bola Tinubu had directed officials to wait until centres nationwide were properly coordinated. He expressed optimism that the arrangement would be completed by March 2027.
Nevertheless, the failed demonstration raised questions about the number’s present accessibility. Hassan appealed for more time, insisting that the government would fulfil its commitments.
Earlier, the National Economic Council had approved 112 as Nigeria’s universal toll-free emergency number. The Federal Government also directed agencies, including the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigeria Police Force, National Emergency Management Agency and Federal Road Safety Corps, to develop a nationwide implementation plan.
Ultimately, the incident has renewed concerns about whether Nigerians can reliably reach emergency responders when lives are at risk.
