The Senate on Tuesday embarked on the second reading of a bill seeking to introduce a single, toll-free, nationwide emergency number accessible to all Nigerians.
The proposed legislation, “A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Emergency Toll Service (NETS),” aims to replace the country’s patchwork of emergency helplines with one unified, easily memorable three-digit number.
Lawmakers said the initiative would not only eliminate confusion but also speed up coordination among police, fire services, hospitals, and other first responders.
Leading the debate, the sponsor of the bill, Senator Yar’adua Musa (Katsina Central), said the law would consolidate Nigeria’s scattered helplines into a single national platform.
He cited global models, noting that the United Kingdom introduced its emergency number 999 in 1937, the United States launched 911 in 1968, and India adopted a single emergency line in 2014.
“Emergency numbers like 911 in the United States and 999 in the UK have saved countless lives by simplifying access to emergency services.
“Nigeria, however, currently operates multiple helplines across different states, including for the police, fire services, ambulance services, and even domestic violence and child abuse issues,” he said.
Musa said the multiplicity of numbers—especially in cities such as Lagos—creates confusion and slows down response time during emergencies.
The current situation is counterproductive during emergencies,” he added.
Under the bill, any call or text message to the new national emergency number would be automatically routed to the nearest operational response centre.
The senators argued that with mobile phone penetration now approaching 90 per cent, the country has the infrastructure needed to run a unified system.
Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) backed the proposal, linking Nigeria’s security lapses to poor communication channels between the public 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, describing the bill as “timely, very important, and urgently needed.”
Also supporting, Senator Tahir Monguno (Borno North) said the long-standing call for citizens to “report what they see” has been undermined by the confusing array of helplines.
“This bill gives muscular expression to the need for the general public to report what they see.
“A dedicated, toll-free national line would eliminate the barriers created by the current multiplicity of emergency numbers,” he said.
Presiding over the session, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin praised the effort, saying the reform would have a significant national impact.
“The bill represents a major step toward improving our emergency response systems and would be a positive development for the country,” Jibrin remarked.
The bill was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Communications, with a mandate to report back in four weeks.
If enacted, the law will empower the Nigerian Communications Commission to regulate the system, coordinate emergency response agencies and guarantee nationwide access.
Lawmakers say the reform could dramatically strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response capacity and provide citizens with a faster, more reliable means of seeking help in life-threatening situations.
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