The Senate on Tuesday commenced the second reading of a bill proposing a single, toll-free emergency number for Nigeria.
The legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Emergency Toll Service (NETS),” seeks to replace the current array of state and service-specific helplines with a unified three-digit number.
Senator Yar’adua Musa (Katsina Central), the sponsor of the bill, said the initiative would consolidate Nigeria’s scattered emergency contacts into one national platform, improving coordination among police, fire services, hospitals, and other first responders.
Citing global precedents, he noted that the United Kingdom introduced the 999 number 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,” Musa said.
He added that the multiplicity of numbers, particularly in major cities such as Lagos, creates confusion and delays during emergencies.
Under the proposed law, any call or text to the new national number would be routed automatically to the nearest operational response centre.
Senators argued that with mobile phone penetration approaching 90 per cent, the country has the infrastructure to implement a unified system.
Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) supported the bill, linking Nigeria’s security challenges 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,” he said.
Senator Tahir Monguno (Borno North) also backed the proposal, stressing the difficulty citizens face in reporting incidents due to the current multiplicity of emergency numbers.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin presided over the session and commended the bill, describing it as a significant step toward improving the country’s emergency response capacity.
The legislation was referred to the Senate Committee on Communications, which has been tasked with reporting back within four weeks.
If enacted, the law will empower the Nigerian Communications Commission to regulate the system, coordinate emergency response agencies, and ensure nationwide access, offering citizens a faster and more reliable means of seeking assistance in critical situations.
