Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it is creating job opportunities for youths and professionals by implementing the Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs).
It disclosed that the ECCs would as well offer informal business activities to citizens across the country.
NCC further stated the ECCs would serve beyond providing essential emergency response services to the Nigerian public.
The Commission made the disclosures, in a press release by it Director, Public Affairs, Rueben Muoka.
As stated in the release, the ECCs have been constructed and are now fully operational in 27 state capitals across the country.
They are reachable on Toll-Free Number 112 and are operating in similar design like the 911 Emergency Numbers in some developed parts of the world.
The centres would provide succour to individuals who are witnesses or under distress of emergency, arising from fire outbreaks, robbery or violent attacks, domestic, road accidents and health crisis.
Such victims are expected to instantly reach response agencies through the toll-free three (3) digit numbers, 112.
“Four more centres are currently undergoing test-runs to commence services in September, 2023, to bring the total to 31.
“Another set of four are expected to come into operations before the end of the year,” Muoka stated.
The Commission provided technology platforms such as Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems for the respective response agencies.
The agencies include the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ambulance Service, and State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA).
The agencies would be facilitating the dispatch of emergency calls through the national emergency toll-free number 112.
“The three-digit code was designed to ensure that citizens in emergency situations can easily recall the three-digit code (112) to report emergency situations.
“Agents of the ECCs, have been trained, and equipped with state-of-the-art communications equipment.
“[These include] digital radio and Internet-protocol (IP) and geo-location technologies to enable responders to easily identify location of incidents for effective and efficient delivery of rescue services to the public.
“Emergency Centre services in Nigeria are available, live, 24 hours of the day as the agents run in shifts to ensure that services are delivered at all times of the day,” it was stated.
The response agencies, such as the Police, with round-the-clock duties to prevent, stop and arrest crimes, are being provided with additional mobile communications devices.
Some of the agencies already have these mobile communications devices installed in their offices.
“This is to enable them to instantly receive information from call agents at the centres.
“This is to also ensure that top echelon of the Force are provided instant information for command and control over emergency situations or incidents across the country,” it was added.
The ECCs have thus assumed more crucial roles in providing emergency communications services to the citizenry.
“They are also providing additional socio-economic responsibility of providing job opportunities to the citizens.
“Each of the centres have staffs made up of call agents, Facility/IT staff, and administrators.
“The basic salaries of the staff of ECCs have been carefully set by the Commission to ensure that the jobs at the centres are attractive for the Nigerian youths and other category of employees.
“In effect, more than 1,200 are currently offered employment at the 27 operational centres across the country.
“More will be employed as the additional eight centres under different stages of completion become fully operational by 2024.
“The centres are also managed by indigenous Nigerian consultants who are engaged to provide total facility and operational management of the centres,” it was stated in the release.
