Nigeria’s national emergency hotline, 112, has come under public scrutiny after an attempt to reach the service failed during a live television interview on Channels Television.
The incident happened on Tuesday during an appearance by Alwan Hassan, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, on the station’s Politics Today programme.
Hassan had listed the emergency number among the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, explaining that it was designed to provide Nigerians with access to emergency assistance in critical situations.
To demonstrate its functionality, he challenged the programme’s presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, to dial 112 while the interview was still underway.
However, the attempt ended unsuccessfully, as the call did not connect.
Reacting to the outcome, Okinbaloye remarked, “This number is not working,” prompting Hassan to insist that the hotline was operational.
The APC campaign council member suggested that the unsuccessful attempt might have resulted from a temporary network disruption.
Okinbaloye, however, questioned the explanation, noting that other telephone calls were going through from the same location. He also revealed that viewers had been contacting the programme to report similar challenges with accessing the emergency service.
Despite the failed test, Hassan maintained that the hotline was functional, claiming that he had personally accessed the service successfully on previous occasions.
He provided an explanation of how the emergency response arrangement was expected to operate, stating that calls placed to 112 would be received at designated emergency communication centres.
According to him, operators at the centres would establish the nature of each reported incident before directing it to the relevant emergency agency.
He explained that medical emergencies would be referred to ambulance services, while security-related complaints would be transmitted to the nearest police station for appropriate intervention.
Hassan also disclosed that the Federal Government was working towards introducing a centralised system that would allow emergency response centres to determine callers’ locations through a unified dashboard.
He said preparations at the Abuja emergency centre had been completed but noted that its official inauguration had been postponed following a directive from President Tinubu.
According to Hassan, the President wanted emergency response centres across the country to be properly coordinated before the system was officially launched.
He expressed confidence that the necessary arrangements would be concluded by March 2027.
When pressed by Okinbaloye on the administration’s progress in delivering its campaign promises, Hassan admitted that additional time was required.
“We’ll fulfil them. We’ll fulfil them with time. This is why we’re asking for more time,” he said.
The unsuccessful live demonstration has renewed concerns about the practical effectiveness of Nigeria’s emergency telephone service, particularly its accessibility to citizens who may need urgent medical, security or other forms of assistance.
The concerns come against the backdrop of efforts by the Federal Government to establish a unified emergency response framework across the country.
In April 2026, the National Economic Council approved 112 as Nigeria’s universal toll-free emergency number, intended to streamline responses to incidents involving medical emergencies, fire outbreaks, road accidents and security threats.
The latest incident has brought renewed attention to the need for reliable connectivity, effective coordination and nationwide accessibility of the emergency hotline.
