70% of Lagos Emergency Calls Classified as Fake

Data released by the Lagos State Government reveals that nearly 70% of calls made to the emergency hotline from January 2025 to April 2026 were classified as fake or non-emergency, significantly impacting the emergency response system. The Lagos State Command Control Center received approximately 24.15 million calls during this period, with 16.39 million categorized as nuisance calls, which disrupted genuine emergency operations.

The report indicated that 5.47 million incoming calls went unanswered, with the abandonment rate sharply increasing from 9.3% in January 2025 to 37.6% by April 2026. To address this issue, the government plans to introduce artificial intelligence-driven call screening technology by the end of 2026, aiming to reduce operational handling time by 35%.

The report also noted a spike in nuisance calls between September and December 2025, but no explanation was provided for this trend. Femi Giwa, the General Manager of the Lagos Command Control Center, clarified that nuisance calls waste emergency resources without necessarily providing false information.