Beyond providing essential emergency response services to the Nigerian public, the Emergency Communications Centres (ECC), being implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) now provide employment placements for many Nigerian youth and professionals, as well as offering informal business activities to the citizens across the Country.

The ECC’s, which have been constructed and are now fully operational in a total of 27 State Capitals across the country, 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, to provide succor to individuals, who are witnesses or under distress of emergency, arising from fire outbreaks, robbery or violent attacks, domestic and road accidents, health crisis, 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, while another set of four are expected to come into operations before the end of the year.

The Commission provided technology platforms such as Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems for the respective response agencies such as police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ambulance Service, and State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) to facilitate 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, including 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.

The response agencies, such as the Police with round-the-clock duties to prevent, stop and arrest crimes, are now being provided with additional mobile communications devices, some installed in their offices, 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.

As the ECCs assume more crucial roles in providing emergency communications services to the citizenry, it is also providing additional socio-economic responsibility of providing job opportunities to the citizens as 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, while more will be employed as the additional 8 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.

The post ECC: Fulfilling Needful Job Opportunities for Nigerian Youths appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – In continuation with its vision and strategy to ensure promptness, effectiveness and efficiency in the handling of emergency call services through the Emergency Communication Centres (ECC), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has embarked on the deployment of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) solutions.
This bolstering of the capacity of emergency response agencies comes on the heels of the Nigerian Communications Commission recent activation of the Taraba State ECC, thus bringing the total number of operational ECCs across the country to 25.

The Taraba ECC joins the existing operational ECCs in 23 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These ECCs are 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.

ALSO READ : 5G Drives New Opportunities For Digital Innovation – NCC

To further modernize the centres, the NCC initiated the deployment of CAD for the response agencies. The Nigerian Communications 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.

In a remark on the CAD deployment, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the Commission will 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.

“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 a very positive impact on the lives of Nigerians,” Danbatta said.

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 Nigerian Communications Commission established the EEC project in 2005 in deference to the Federal Executive Council directive. The Commission has also taken the establishment and effective operations of the Centres across the country as a matter of priority in keeping with Sections 107 (3) A and B, of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCA) 2003.

The post NCC Upgrades Emergency Communications Centres To 25 Locations appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECH DIGEST – Worried by the worsening cases of insecurity in the North West region, the Federal Government has approved the establishment of the Emergency Communications Centre in Zamfara state to help curb insecurity in the state.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami made this known in Abuja.

He said “An Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) has been approved for Zamfara State and we will ensure that it is deployed and fully operational in the next few months.

“This facility will in no small measure aid in the fight against the challenges of insecurity and will also create jobs in the state.”

Responding, the Zamfara state Governor, Bello Matawalle, stated that “the impact of the digital economy was yielding positive results in his state as the Minister has successfully bridged the access gaps in several communities that lacked telecommunications services.

“We are here today to express our profound gratitude to the Minister for his speedy intervention in ensuring that Mobile Network Operators established their presence and services in areas where they did not previously exist in the state and, the establishment of ICT Centres in various schools in Zamfara which is encouraging digital skills and engaging the youths positively.”

He commended Dr Pantami for the speedy response to the request and prayed he considers the establishment of more centres to properly engage the youths.

Matawalle emphasised that the success recorded by the Digital Economy Sector is hinged largely on the exemplary leadership provided by Dr Pantami and urged other public officials to emulate him.

The post Why We Are Deploying Emergency Communications Centre In Zamfara ― FG appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECH DIGEST – The Executive Governor of Zamfara State, His Excellency, Gov Bello Muhammad Matawalle has commended the outstanding performance of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, PhD, FNCS, FBCS, FIIM as the supervising minister of the digital economy sector, describing him as a great asset in the administration of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Zamfara State Governor made this known today when he paid an official visit to the Communications and Digital Economy Complex, Abuja.

His Excellency, Gov Matawalle was at the Digital Economy Complex, Abuja to formally appreciate the Honourable Minister, Dr Pantami for the various Digital Economy intervention projects provided to the State.

The Ministry in the last year has provided an ICT Innovation Hub to the State, Digital Economy Centers, Emergency Communication Centre (ECC), enhanced network coverage in remote locations, capacity development programmes, among others.

The developmental projects and programmes are part of the Federal Government’s intervention to the State to enhance security, boost economic activities and promote digital literacy and skills.

Governor Matawalle stated that the kind gesture of the Federal Government has helped to improve the security in the State and empower youths with the required digital skills to thrive in the 21st century.

The Executive Governor further solicited for more digital economy centres to promote eLearning, especially in remote areas.

On his part, the Honourable Minister, Dr Pantami appreciated the governor on the visit and his kind words of encouragement.

The Honourable Minister also pledged commitment to partnership with the state government in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria.

“Job creation remains the best way to fight insecurity”, Pantami said.

The post Pantami is an Asset in the Administration of President Buhari – Governor Matawalle appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECH DIGEST – The Emergency Communication Centres (ECC) established by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in both Ogun and Enugu states have been commissioned by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

The two NCC projects were part of the seven projects inaugurated by the Minister during the virtual commissioning of the batch nine of digital economy projects for a Digital Nigeria which took place at the Communications & Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, Abuja on Friday, April 23, 2021.

The ECCs are deliberate projects embarked upon by the Commission pursuant to its mandates, enshrined in the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, to dedicate a national emergency number and to ensure the protection of lives and property of Nigerians

To date, 19 states of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have benefited from functional Emergency Communication Centres (ECC) projects, the implementation of which has received greater momentum under the Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, as the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of the Commission.

By simply dialing a dedicated toll-free Emergency Number, 112, citizens can easily receive timely succor in times of emergency from appropriate emergency response agencies (ERAs) such as the Police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Fire Service, Ambulance Service, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and so on.

Other digital economy projects commissioned by the Minister include the Community ICT Centre, Dutse, Jigawa State; Information Technology Hub at Abubakar Tafawa Belewa University, Bauchi; and Digital Economy Centres (DEC) in Imo State Polytechnic; Garki Secondary School, Abuja and Ojodu Grammar School, Ojodu, Lagos State.

These five projects were executed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Speaking during the commissioning, Pantami, who commended the agencies under his Ministry for joining hands in collectively advancing the course of digital economy which he is spearheading, stated that the projects are in line with the tripartite agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The agenda, according to the Minister, focuses on the tripod of economic development, curbing corruption and improving security of the country.

“It is the goal of the Federal Government to leverage ICT to address developmental issues in our country and that is what we have been doing in the Ministry by facilitating development of Nigeria’s digital economy targets through a number of policy and regulatory initiatives, Pantami said.

In attendance during the commissioning ceremony were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr Festus Daudu; the EVC, NCC, Prof Danbatta; DG, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Inuwa Abdullahi and the Postmaster General, Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Dr. Ismail Adewusi.

Others are the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat), Dr. Abimbola Alale; Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr. Abdulaziz Aliyu and Ayuba Shuaibu , Secretary, Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) who is also Chairman, Project Review and Commissioning Committee.

The post NCC’s Emergency Communication Centres In Enugu, Ogun Commissioned appeared first on Tech Digest News.