The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has commenced building and equipping emergency communication centres in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja to bridge the gap between distressed and emergency response agencies in the country.
Executive Chairman of the commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, made the explanation during NCC’s special day at the Enugu International Trade Fair, organised by the Enugu Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA).
Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, of Public Affairs of the NCC, Mr Reuben Muoka, disclosed that all telecom operators had been mandated to route emergency calls through the dedicated three-digit toll-free number 112, from each state to the emergency centres within the state.
The NCC boss said: “In the Commission’s effort to bridge the communication gap between the distressed and emergency response agencies in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission has undertaken the task of facilitating the building and equipping of emergency communications centres in all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“All telecom operators are mandated to route emergency calls through the dedicated three-digit toll free number, 112, from each state to the emergency centre within that state. The operators, who are resident in the ECC, will then process the distress call.”
President of ECCIMA, Barr Jasper Nduagwuike, tasked the NCC to do more to fully tap the potentials in the telecommunications sector.
Nduagwuike, who was represented by the first deputy president of ECCIMA, Mr Odega Jideonwu, explained that customers of the various GSM network operators would fully maximise the inherent benefits of optimal service delivery by operators if the NCC fully tapped the potentials in the sector.
He commended the commission’s commitment to providing better service delivery by telecommunication operators in the country and described it as one of the sectors that had contributed to the enhanced growth of Nigerian economy.
Nduagwuike also explained that the commission needs to do more, especially in having the courage to regulate operators in the sector to do what is right and protect vulnerable customers in the country.
He pointed out that the role of the commission as a regulatory agency in the development of the telecommunication sector, is to ensure best practices, efficient and effective service delivery by operators in the sector.
