The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has embarked on the deployment of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) solution across the country in furtherance of its vision and strategy to ensure promptness, effectiveness and efficiency in the handling of emergency call services through the Emergency Communication Centres (ECC).
The upgrading of the capacity of emergency response centres is coming on the heels of Commission’s recent activation of the Taraba State ECC, thus bringing the total number of operational ECCs nationwide to 25.
The ECCs in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are located in the FCT, Adamawa, Imo, Enugu, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Plateau, Ogun, Kano, Katsina and Ekiti, Cross River and Edo. Others are Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Bauchi, Osun, Zamfara, Kebbi and Gombe States.
To further modernize the centres, the NCC initiated the deployment of CAD for the response agencies. The Commission has deployed the CAD system to the commands of six response agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), States Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), as well as in Ambulance and Fire Service operations in seven states.
The seven states that have benefitted from the deployment of the CAD equipment to transform and upgrade their ECCs into an Internet protocol-based facility are Ogun, Cross River, Enugu, Kwara, Kano, Adamawa and FCT. The Commission plans to upgrade the remaining operational ECCs soon.
On March 9, 2022, the Commission carried out the successful trial calls to test the effective implementation of the supply, installation and integration of the CAD system for Ambulance Service in Abuja, FCT for the recently-launched National Emergency Medical Services & Ambulance Systems (NEMSAS) of the Federal Ministry of Health.
Commenting on the CAD deployment, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the Commission would continue to modernize the ECCs from time to time to keep it effective and to respond appropriately to the dynamics of emergency cases, in keeping with its objective of enhancing security of lives and property in the country.
He explained: “Over the years, the Centres have been transforming lives and helping many citizens to survive emergencies and other life-threatening circumstances through instant dispatch of emergency calls received to Emergency Response Agencies (ERA). This intervention has had very positive impact on the lives of Nigerians.”
The CAD is an automated dispatch software solution deployed for the seamless transmission of calls from the ECC to the relevant ERAs via the click of a button on the Call Agent’s System.
The NCC established the EEC project in 2005 in compliance with the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC’s) directive and has increased the number of the facilities nationwide in keeping with Sections 107 (3) A and B, of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCA) 2003.
