The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, has disclosed that Nigerians made 30 million emergency calls from January to August 2021 using the 122 emergency number.
Danbatta disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at a two-day All Nigerian Editors Conference with the theme: ‘Media in times of crisis: Resolving conflict, achieving consensus’.
According to the NCC boss, there are Emergency Communications Centres in 23 states and Federal Capital Territory, with ongoing plans to establish the centres in nine more states and the remaining four states by the end of 2022.
He said, “The NCC embarked on the establishment of ECCs across the states to offer a lifeline to citizens in times of distress.
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“The ECC provides a one-stop shop through which members of the public can access help from any Emergency Response Agency such as the Police, the Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, fire and ambulance services, National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria Centre of Disease Control and so on by dialling 112, which is Nigeria’s emergency assistance number, from any network.”
“Currently, 23 states in the Federation and the FCT have functional ECCs each.
In addition to the 23 already established and functioning ECCs, the commission will soon activate ECCs in nine more states, with an auspicious projection to inaugurate similar projects in the remaining four states by ending of 2022.”
Danbatta further stated that in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Nigeria, over 1,500 calls on COVID-19-related issues were received and processed by the ECC.
