Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka, Our Managing Editor, in this piece, takes a critical look at the calls by the Accident Presentation and Rescue Initiative (APRI) for the establishment of Emergency Response Centres by the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
The APRI, is asking all 36 States and the FCTA to urgently set up functional Emergency Response Centers, ERCs. The core argument is time: most deaths occur within the “Golden Hour” and many states currently lack the structure to respond within it. That framing puts a human cost on bureaucratic delay.
APRI’s Executive Secretary, Amb. Fidelis Nnadi, says 70% of road, fire, and medical emergency deaths happen because help arrives late, with ERCs cutting urban response from 2 hours to 15 minutes. If the data behind that 70% figure is verifiable and state-specific, it becomes a strong case for investment. If not, it risks being treated as advocacy math.
The proposal for a “One Call, One Command” center dialing 112/767 to dispatch police, ambulance, fire, and hospitals at once targets Nigeria’s fragmented response culture. Right now, FRSC, Police, Fire Service, NEMA, hospitals, and volunteer groups often operate in silos. Integration would be the actual reform.
APRI is correct that FRSC’s mandate centers on federal highways, while 90% of crashes occur on state and FCT roads, including city centers, outskirts, school zones, and LGA routes. Expecting one federal corps to cover that geography is unrealistic. State-level capacity is the missing link.
The call for a State Road Traffic Safety Council, SRTSC, to formulate policy, review regulations, and guide the State Ministry of Transport is practical. Without a statutory body, road safety bills and enforcement standards remain ad hoc, and operatives lack clear quality benchmarks.
APRI wants a State Crash Data Bank pulling from FRSC, Police, VIOs, hospitals, and other sources. That is critical because most states cannot currently map crash hotspots. Without geotagged data, ERCs and patrols will keep responding blindly instead of preventing.
Linking ERCs with GPS-tracked ambulances, rescue vehicles, and CCTV to address “one chance” robberies and kidnappings in states like Lagos, Anambra, and Delta broadens the mandate. It positions ERCs as both medical and public safety hubs, which could improve political buy-in.
APRI’s statement does not address who pays: capital expenditure for dispatch centers, fleets, CCTV, training, and recurrent costs for 24/7 staffing. Without a financing model tied to state budgets, FAAC, or a dedicated road safety levy, ERCs risk becoming press-release projects.
Ambulances and fire trucks without trained paramedics, dispatchers, and trauma-trained first responders will not deliver 15-minute outcomes. States will need to recruit, certify, and retain staff, and standardize protocols across agencies that historically do not train together.
Establishing an ERC and SRTSC requires state legislation, procurement rules, inter-agency MOUs, and data-sharing agreements. In many states, road traffic laws are outdated. A council without legal teeth will only issue recommendations that gather dust.
A single emergency number only works if telecoms guarantee uptime, calls are routed correctly across state lines, and citizens actually know and trust the number. Public education campaigns must run alongside the infrastructure, or the lines will stay idle.
APRI emphasizes speed and coordination, but says little about performance metrics, audits, or consequences for delayed response. For credibility, states should publish response-time data, survival rates, and crash reductions quarterly.
A 15-minute urban target is ambitious, but most fatal delays occur on rural state roads with poor access. ERC planning must include satellite substations, community first-responder networks, and agreements with local hospitals, not just city command centers.
Road safety rarely wins elections compared to roads or bridges. APRI’s advocacy will have to translate into governors’ priorities and FCT budget lines. Framing ERCs as life-saving and crime-reducing helps, but it still competes with other capital projects.
APRI notes FRSC should be “complemented” by state operatives. That balance matters. States must avoid duplicating FRSC functions on federal highways while leaving gaps on state roads. Clear jurisdictional maps will prevent turf wars.
APRI has identified the right problems: late response, poor coordination, weak data, and limited state capacity. The ERC and SRTSC models are sound in principle. Whether they reduce deaths will depend on funding, laws, training, data systems, and sustained political commitment beyond the press statement.
