Senate Moves to Create Single Nationwide Toll-Free Emergency Number

The Nigerian Senate is reviewing a proposed law that would establish a unified, toll-free national emergency number to strengthen the country’s emergency response system.

The legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Emergency Toll Service (NETS) to Provide Uniform, Accessible and Rapid Emergency Response Through a Dedicated Toll-Free Number Nationwide, to Empower the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as the Regulator, and for Related Matters, 2025 (SB 402)”, seeks to streamline Nigeria’s numerous emergency hotlines into one easily recognizable three-digit number.

Leading debate on the bill’s second reading, sponsor Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’adua said the law aims to harmonize the multiple emergency numbers currently operating across different states, proposing a single code such as 112 or another option determined after a public hearing.

He cited global examples — including 999 in the UK (introduced in 1937), 911 in the United States (established in 1968), and India’s unified line launched in 2014 — noting that such systems save lives by ensuring quick and uncomplicated access to help during life-threatening situations.

Yar’adua observed that Nigeria presently uses various emergency numbers for the police, fire service, ambulance providers, domestic violence hotlines, child protection, and disaster response agencies. Lagos State alone, he added, maintains several toll-free numbers tied to different emergency services, a situation lawmakers described as confusing and inefficient.

Under the proposed law, calls or text messages to the new national emergency number would be automatically routed to the nearest operational response centre. Yar’adua noted that nearly 90 per cent of Nigerians use mobile phones, making such a system both feasible and urgently needed.

Sen. Ali Ndume (APC–Borno) backed the bill, calling it “timely, very important, and urgently needed.” He stressed that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity is partly due to the absence of a centralised communication channel between citizens and security agencies.

“If we do this, we will be enhancing our security architecture and contributing significantly to solving the criminalities affecting the country,” Ndume said, urging quick passage and implementation.

Also supporting the bill, Sen. Tahir Monguno (APC–Borno) said unified emergency communication was crucial given the “grave security challenges across the country.” He added that while citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity, the government must provide a simple and reliable means to do so.

“This bill gives muscular expression to the need for the general public to report what they see,” he said. “A dedicated toll-free national line would eliminate barriers created by the current multiplicity of emergency numbers.”

Presiding Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau praised the sponsor and contributors, describing the initiative as one that would “truly help the people of this country once implemented.”

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Communications, which is expected to report back within four weeks.

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