A live television demonstration intended to showcase public infrastructure improvements turned into an on-air embarrassment when Nigeria’s national emergency line, 112, failed to connect during a live broadcast. The incident occurred during an appearance by Alwan Hassan, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, on Politics Today, a current affairs program broadcast by Channels Television from its Abuja studio.
While defending the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Hassan cited the 112 emergency toll-free service as evidence of functional public infrastructure under the ruling party. Comparing the line to emergency systems in developed nations, he urged program anchor Seun Okinbaloye to test the service live on air. ”Take your phone and call 112,” Hassan said during the broadcast.
“Nobody knows about this. We used to hear it in America, 911. Call 112 now, put it on speaker, and they’ll ask you what’s your emergency… Thanks to APC government.” Okinbaloye placed the call on speakerphone, but repeated attempts failed to establish a connection. ”This number is not working,” Okinbaloye said after the line went unanswered.
When pressed on whether the failure reflected broader issues with state services, Hassan attributed the issue to potential cellular network disruptions, maintaining that the emergency system remains operational and asserting he had successfully used it in the past. ”We’ll fulfill them. We’ll fulfill them with time.
This is why we’re asking for more time,” Hassan said regarding government promises. The failure of the 112 emergency line on national television has renewed scrutiny over Nigeria’s Emergency Communications Centres, which are managed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to coordinate police, fire, and medical responses across the country. Neither the NCC nor the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy issued an immediate statement addressing the broadcast incident.
