FG, governors, responders to finalise blueprint on unified '112' national emergency call initiative - ITREALMS

The Federal Government of Nigeria has set machinery in motion to deepen strategic engagement with State Governors and frontline emergency responders to fast-track the nationwide adoption of "112" as the country’s unified national emergency toll-free number, reports ITREALMS.

​This development was the highpoint of a high-level briefing between a delegation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, and the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

Nigeria’s e-Waste emergency: Dissecting 1.2m tonne time bomb by Remmy Nweke - Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS

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Transform e-waste from a toxic crisis into an economic goldmine. Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS by Remmy Nweke shares step-by-step guide to Urban Mining empowers businesses to reclaim precious metals, ensuring environmental safety and national digital sovereignty.

As we close the door on 2025, the digital landscape of Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads. While our collective appetite for the latest gadgets continues to accelerate, the "ghosts" of our previous devices, the 1.2 million tonnes of electronic waste generated annually, have coalesced into a national emergency. 

At the 2025 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, held on November 20 at the Welcome Centre Hotels, Lagos, the message was blunt and uncompromising: “Nigeria: Recycle your e-waste – it’s critical!” This year marked the definitive moment the conversation shifted from mere awareness to a demand for actionable national policy. 

Study reveals emergency vaccination cuts infectious disease deaths by 60% - ITREALMS

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A groundbreaking study has found that emergency vaccination responses to cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis, and yellow fever outbreaks have reduced deaths by nearly 60% on average between 2000 and 2023, reports ITREALMS.

The study, conducted by Burnet Institute in collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, also estimated that these efforts generated at least $32 billion in economic benefits.

State of Emergency in Rivers: A tale of politics, power, and social media - ITREALMS

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, citing breakdown in governance and public order, sparking nationwide outrage, especially on social media, reports REMMY NWEKE.

Breakdown in governance:

On March 18, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing a breakdown in governance and public order.

Tinubu declares state of emergency in Rivers State, appoints sole administrator amidst escalating political crisis - ITREALMS

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In a dramatic turn of events, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, effective March 18, 2025, reports ITREALMS.

This decision, announced in a nationwide broadcast, comes amidst a prolonged and intensifying political crisis that has gripped the oil-rich state.

NOSDRA boss on unschedule evaluation of SPDC's oil spill response @Bonny - ITREALMS

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The Director General of the National Oil Spillage Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, along with his senior management team, conducted a critical assessment visit to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Port Harcourt.

This urgent visit aimed to evaluate SPDC's comprehensive efforts in managing the recent oil spill incident in Bonny, which subsequently affected the Oyorokot community in Andoni Local Government Area.

NNPC declares state of emergency on crude oil production - ITREALMS

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In a move towards increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production and growing its reserves, NNPC Ltd has declared a state of emergency on production in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari, disclosed this in a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 23rd edition of the Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG Energy Week) in Abuja, on Tuesday.

NLNG commissions renovates Accident and Emergency Unit @UUTH - ITREALMS

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Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Limited’s Hospital Support Programme (HSP) marked another milestone on Tuesday in Uyo as it unveiled a renovated and expanded Accident and Emergency Unit at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), demonstrating the company's commitment to enhancing healthcare delivery nationwide.

The unit was commissioned by the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah.

WHO Director-General lifts emergency status for COVID-19 - ITREALMS

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The World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee for COVID-19, has lifted the emergency status, reports ITREALMS.

Confirming this, the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that COVID-19 will no longer be categorized a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Why Nigeria needs Agric Emergency Fund - ITREALMS

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Some reasons have been adduced as to why Nigeria urgently needs an Agricultural Emergency Fund (AEF) outside the 2023 budget for agriculture, according to ActionAid Nigeria, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking recently through its Food and Agriculture Programme Manager, ActionAid Nigeria, Mr. Azubike Nwokoye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the fund has become imperative in order to avert the looming food crisis in the country.

Simon Ekpa: Ndigbo in Finland summons emergency meeting - ITREALMS

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Worried by the increasing incitement of youths in the South-Eastern Nigeria, the Igbo Union in Finland, has summoned an emergency meeting over Simon Ekpa, reports ITREALMS.

Chairman, Igbo Union Finland, Mr. Kingsley Orji, disclosed this in a statement available to 
ITREALMS, said the emergency general meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, 18, December, 2022.

Taraba raises ECC to 25 nationwide - ITREALMS

The Taraba State's Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) joined the existing operational centres in 23 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to raise the number to 25 centers, reports ITREALMS.

These ECCs, ITREALMS gathered are currently located in the FCT, Adamawa, Imo, Enugu, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Plateau, Ogun, Kano, Katsina, Ekiti, Cross River and Edo. Others are Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Bauchi, Osun, Zamfara, Kebbi and Gombe States.

NCC upgrades emergency communications centres - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has embarked on the deployment of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) solution.

This bolstering of the capacity of emergency response agencies is coming on the heels of Commission's recent activation of the Taraba State ECC, thus bringing the total number of operational ECCs across the country to 25.

Asaju stresses importance of emergency communications - ITREALMS

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The Director, Special Duties at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Engr Oluwaseun Asaju, has stressed the importance of the Emergency Communications Centre (ECC), reports ITREALMS.

Asaju made this known in a chat with newsmen monitored by ITREALMS and said that NCC’s Emergency Communication Centres are very important for the security of lives and properties In Nigeria.

COVID-19: NCDC activates level 3 national emergency response - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Federal Government (FG) through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has activated her level 3 national response activities, reports ITREALMS.

NCDC informed ITREALMS of this development Monday following the rise of incidence cases which rose to 36 as at Monday 23 March, 2020 on the Corona Virus (Covid-19) pandemic ravaging the world.

The agency also said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations (EOC) would coordinate the activated level 3 national response activities.

“A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities,” NCDC disclosed.ITREALMS gathered that NCDC’s indicators, showed that on the 23rd of March 2020, six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria.

“Till date, thirty-six (36) cases have been confirmed, two cases have been discharged and one death from COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria.

“Of the five (5) new cases, one (1) is in Edo State, two (2) are in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and two (3) are in Lagos State.

ITREALMS equally gathered that the case in Edo State is being treated at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital; cases in the FCT are being treated at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada; and the cases in Lagos State are being treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba.

Even as all the six (6) new cases have mild to moderate symptoms and are currently receiving treatment.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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Danbatta is Nigeria’s Security, Emergency Management Ambassador - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has been recognised as Nigeria’s Goodwill Ambassador for Security and Emergency Management in Nigeria (SAEMN), reports ITREALMS.

This, ITREALMS gathered was in recognition of his efforts towards fast-tracking implementation of Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs) especially at a time the country is faced with a number of security situations, as before his appointment in 2015 no single emergency communications center was operational in the country but Nigeria boasts on 18 centers now.

Danbatta received the recognition at the first-ever Security and Emergency Management Awards (SAEMA 2019) organised in Abuja by the Emergency Digest, a publication of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, in conjunction with the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC).

At the event, which was attended by many stakeholders, particularly agencies in the security governance sector, Danbatta beat other contenders and nominees in the category to emerge winner for his proactive decision to activate and oxygenate the implementation of ECC across states of the Federation and federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja.

The NCC, as a corporate entity, was also recognised with the Corporate Social responsibility Award in Security and Emergency Management in the country.

On assuming office as EVC of NCC in 2015, Danbatta quickly put machinery in place to accelerate the implementation of ECC across the country in line with the decision of the Nigerian government to enhance security of lives and properties in the country and in line with the provision of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.

Danbatta’s decision was based on his recognition of the NCC’s mandate in this regard, which is to promote and enhance public safety through the use of a particular number which shall be designed as the universal safety and emergency assistance number for telephone services generally; as well as encourage and facilitate the prompt deployment throughout Nigeria of seamless, ubiquitous and reliable end-to-end infrastructure for emergency communications needs.

Consequently, the Danbatta-led NCC has fully activated and operationalised ECC in 17 States across the country and the FCT. The list of the states include Benue, Kwara, Plateau, Kaduna , Kano, Katsina, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Imo, Enugu, Anambra and Adamawa.

Speaking during the presentation of the award to the EVC, the Chairman of Panel of Jury for SAEMA 2019, Mohammed Audu-Bida, said nominations for winners were based on verifiable outstanding performance and track record of excellence in the category for which the nomination was made.

According to him, a total of 254 entries were received for all the categories, out of which 136 nominees qualified for the competition. Thereafter, 54 finalists were selected by the jury from which 18 winners of the 18 categories emerged.

The Awards is instituted to recognise remarkable and invaluable contributions to the security, emergency management and peace development by individuals, groups and relevant stakeholders. The Award also recognises gallantry, rescue efforts, safety measures, teamwork and outstanding contributions to security and emergency management in Nigeria.

Chuks Egbuna/Editor

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Pix: Chukwuma Azikiwe, Head, Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) Project, Special Duties, NCC (Left) receiving the awards on behalf of the EVC of NCC from Mohammed Audu-Bida, Chairman of Panel of Jury for SAEMA 2019 at the event.

Trauma confab: Lagos to increase emergency ambulances - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Lagos State Government has advanced plans to increase the number of mobile emergency ambulances on its fleet from 15 to 23, reports ITREALMS.

The state commissioner for health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this in his address to the first-ever Trauma conference in Lagos on Tuesday by the Trauma Care International Foundation (TCIF).

Abayomi who lamented lack of maintenance of medical facilities said this increase in emergency ambulance fleet has become necessary because of increase in number of residents and need to close the gap of accessibility of this service by Lagosians.

This, he also noted will help in attending to those in need especially during accidents to have access to professional paramedics.

The increase in number of emergency ambulances would make it possible for general hospitals at all the local government areas in the state to reach this service at a very close short time, moreso during emergencies which could be traumatic for the patients.

He also decried lack of attention to professional flights, and called for enabling environment to enable medical and related practitioners thrive and offer their services adequately.

“Our health care providers don't feel valued,” he lamented, stressing the need to make efforts at neutralising every factor fueling this kind of feeling among health professionals in the country so as to retain them.

Welcoming participants, the chairperson TCIF, Dr. Deola Philips said the objective of the Trauma conference 2019 is to provide a platform for debate and stimulation of inter-disciplinary discussions in the fields of trauma care and emergency response management in the country.

Chairman of the occasion, and former Health Minister, Prince Juli Adelusi-Adeluyi commended the organisers, saying that at every appropriate time appropriate people take adequate steps to help build the society they live in.

Adelusi-Adeluyi also advised the foundation to always exhibit positive attitude and leverage on their already established good will as an international NGO that has made World Records with its activities.

He further called for grassroots driven education to increase awareness of the populace to assistance victims of Trauma rather than merely taking photos.

Chuks Egbuna/Editor

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Metele killings: Ositelu urges FG to declare national security emergency - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Presidential candidate of the Accord Party (AP), Mr. Isaac Babatunde Ositelu, has urged the Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria to declare, with immediate effect, a state of emergency in the nation’s security architecture, reports ITREALMS.

This call, ITREALMS reports, follows the spate of gruesome killings of the civilian population and military personnel by the insurgent groups rampaging in the sections of the country. 

According to him, it’s a tragedy of immense proportion that each time, the military claims to have technically defeated the insurgents, the group usually responded with bigger damage on the people and the military.

In a statement released to the media in Lagos, on Tuesday, he said that the life of every Nigerian must not be cut short with reckless abandon while the nation’s leaders and its people carry on as if it is business as usual. “It is unacceptable the way our people are being killed on a regular basis. No nation should stand aloof and watch with trepidation the deliberate and consistent carnage in our land,” he said.

Ositelu admonished that the war on insurgency cannot be fought and won in the media space. According to him, it is demeaning to the image of the country how military bases are cheaply over run by the Boko Haram fighters, promising to make military institutions fortresses that are impenetrable to armed gangs if elected President.

While condoling with the federal government, Nigerian military authorities and the families of the fallen heroes, Ositelu said that the Metele massacre in Borno State, north eastern state of Borno, is one too many. He therefore said that with the intractable killings of the military operatives and the Nigerian people, particularly, in the northern states, his government would probe all defense and security budgets and expenditure from 1999 to 2018. He noted that if the capital votes and releases to the military had been efficiently executed in the last 19 years, there was no way the Nigerian military would continue to come under violent butchery by the marauders and insurgent groups. He said that since the beginning of this year no fewer than 160 officers and soldiers have been killed by the militant groups.

The Accord Party presidential candidate said that clear cut performance metrics would be used in defining the tenure of his security chiefs once the mantle of leadership is handed over to him. He stressed that military commanders who failed to meet up to their deliverables would be asked to give way to a more robust leadership that is result oriented. While assuring that competency, commitment, dedication and loyalty to the country would be rewarded, he said that the various agencies including the armed forces, Police, Department of State Security (DSS), the Military Intelligence Agency (MIA) and Defence Intelligence Agency would be encouraged to have seamless collaborations in the interest of the nation. He said that the unmitigated rivalry among the security services would be a thing of the past during his tenure.

Ositelu said that the Nigerian military which had won international accolades across Africa and other parts of the globe had no business being decimated by a rat tag insurgent militants. According to him, if insinuations that the welfare of the military operatives had ebbed deeply and that most of the military equipment for fighting the insurgents were obsolete aside from being ill equipped, there is no better time than during his tenure to fumigate the budgetary provisions and expenditures from 1999 till date.

He said that there will be a paradigm shift in the manner of tackling the insurgents if the Nigerian people vote him into power at the 2019 Presidential election. According to him, the Accord Party led central government would not claim to know it all. Rather, he said that his government will be going into strategic collaborations and partnerships with nations that have striking experience in the successful dismemberment of insurgencies across the world. He assured that technology driven and intelligence focussed military would be the new plank of the military that he would bequeath to the Nigerian nation.

Aside from providing the most modern equipment and training facilities for a combat ready army, he said that welfare of the rank and file of the military would be top notch for his administration. According to him, the impunity with which political leaders, the bureaucracy and military hierarchy siphon the funds for military equipment and welfare of the soldiers will be a thing of the past as those found culpable would be dealt with according to the laws of the land. He said that budgets for military and security operations would be streamlined for results. “Never again will the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) get more budgetary provisions than the sum allocated to the entire defense sector as witnessed in recent past,” he said.

“My government will also try to address the ideological angle to the issue of insurgency by working with the stakeholders including religious clerics, traditional rulers and civilian joint task force to nip such ideas in the bud in the future”, he said. He assured that the multi-national joint military taskforce would be re-energised and refocused so that insurgents won’t continue to wreak havoc in country and run for cover in another because of the uncoordinated management of the four nations (Nigeria, Republics of Niger, Chad and Cameroun) joint military taskforce.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Ohanaeze calls for calm, sets up emergency hotline

ITRealms:

The umbrella organization of the Igbo race, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has enjoined Igbo stakeholders to remain calm despite the provocations arising from the eviction threat by purported northern youth coalition, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as Ohanaeze has set up an emergency hotline – 07039489523.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Odozi Nwodozi, gave this counsel in Abuja, saying that strategic consultations are ongoing with relevant Igbo stakeholders.

He described the public statement from purported Arewa youth as misguided elements.

According to him, the Arewa youth had asked Ndigbo to vacate the north before the 1st of October 2017.

“It has been resolved that though their position is life threatening, Ndigbo should not join them in this path of dishonor. We should be calm and vigilant; reporting developments to Ohanaeze Ndigbo on 07039489523 or any trusted security agency hotlines,” he said.

Nwodozi maintained that the leadership of Ohanaeze would be meeting soon to chat the way forward for a lasting solution to the current situation, stressing the need for internally vigilance especially at this time.        

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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NCC's riot act on Quality of Service, writes CBN on forex

ITRealms:

Concerned by the degenerating Quality of Service (QoS) provided by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and other service providers, lately in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has read a riot act on QoS, reports ITRealms.

This, ITRealms gathered was largely as part of measures to cushion the situation and ameliorate the recurrent inaccessibility to foreign exchange (forex) by operators.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta made this disclosure in audience with the MNOs, on Monday, that the Commission had written to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and he was favourably disposed to addressing the forex needs of the operators.

As a follow up to the letter, the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholders Management), NCC, Mr. Sunday Dare had a meeting with Mr. Emefiele and extracted a commitment from him on how he hoped to address the forex needs of the operators.

Danbatta spoke in Abuja during an interactive session on Quality of Service delivery which NCC management had with operators, stressing that since the NCC had declared 2017 as the year of the consumer, all hands should be on deck for telecom consumers to have a fresh lease to high Quality of Service.

“The consumer has to be treated with dignity. The 8-point agenda drives this point home” he declared.

The NCC, he explained, has put measures in place to check and monitor Quality of Service (QoS) on various networks “and we have sent this report to our task force on QoS and have been interacting with governments at different levels as part of the measures to deal with the poor QoS”.

Danbatta admonished the operators and co-location service operators to provide suggestions on how to address the situation.

Earlier, NCC’s Executive Commissioner (Technical Services), Mr. Ubale Maska said, QoS has been a great concern as consumers inundate the Commission with complaints.

“It requires everybody’s input if the situation has to be redressed, hence 2017 has been declared the year of the Consumer”.

NCC Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity (DTSNI), Dr. Fidelis Ona, explained that the Commission is aware of some of the challenges which include Right of Way (RoW), Force Majeure, Difficulty in acquiring new cell sites, multiple taxation and regulation, vandalism, power supply among others.

“We are engaging stakeholders, including Industry Working Group on Quality of Service, special committee on Counter Harmonization to address this”.

NCC’s Head, Quality of Service Unit, Engr. Edoyemi Ogoh in his presentation traced poor quality of service to fibre cuts, community issues, among others.

He said in October 2016, operators experienced 175 cuts across the nation while they recorded 180 cuts in November and 103 in December, 2016.

There were 113 community issues in October 2016, 74 in November and 133 in December, adding that fibre cuts and community issues remain major drawbacks for QoS.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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