By Clement John
ABUJA — The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s unified national emergency number, in a bid to strengthen response systems and ensure quicker intervention during crises.
The decision was taken at the 157th NEC meeting held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Council also approved the creation of a multi-agency implementation framework to drive the initiative, with coordination led by the Office of the Vice President and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Speaking at the meeting, Shettima said the adoption of a single emergency number would eliminate delays caused by bureaucratic bottlenecks, stressing that citizens require immediate response in times of distress.
“This is not only a technical reform. It is a test of the state’s humanity. In moments of fire, accident, robbery, medical emergency, flood, violence or panic, citizens do not need bureaucracy—they need response,” he said.
He noted that while the 112 number already exists, the focus now is on ensuring coordination, standard procedures, public awareness, and institutional trust to make it fully effective nationwide.
The Vice President described NEC as a critical platform for aligning federal and state efforts toward achieving the administration’s economic goals, adding that meaningful development requires active collaboration across all tiers of government.
He urged council members to prioritise decisions that directly impact citizens, emphasising that governance must translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
In a related development, NEC received a report on the rehabilitation of police training institutions nationwide from an ad hoc committee led by Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah.
The council commended the committee’s progress and directed the Ministry of Finance to expedite the release of outstanding funds approved for the project. It also called for equitable distribution of training institutions across all geopolitical zones in the first phase.
Additionally, NEC received updates on key national accounts. The Accountant-General of the Federation reported balances of $535,823.39 in the Excess Crude Account, ₦72.84 billion in the Stabilisation Account, and ₦158.19 billion in the Natural Resources Account.
The resolutions, according to council members, are aimed at improving national emergency response capacity and strengthening institutional frameworks critical to security and development.
