DEVELOPMENT OF A CROWD-SOURCED EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR NIGERIA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Emergency response in Nigeria faces critical challenges due to fragmented communication, delayed reporting, and limited coordination among relevant agencies. This study presents the design and development of a Crowd-Sourced Emergency Response System (CSERS) a secure, web-based platform aimed at enhancing real-time incident reporting, promoting public engagement, and improving multi-agency collaboration. Built using a PHP,Laravel,Sanctum and Composer backend, postgreSQL database, and Next.js,React,TypeScriptand Node.js frontend, the system empowers citizens to report emergencies such as accidents, natural disasters, crimes, and health crises through structured forms with geo-location tagging, and categorization by emergency type. The platform integrates role-based access for responders, including the police, fire services, health officials, and community volunteers, enabling dynamic case assignment and priority-based dispatch. An interactive support while regulatory bodies gain access to compliance-ready reports for planning and resource allocation. The system also features email alert capabilities and automated escalation workflows to reduce response latency. Preliminary testing with local emergency stakeholders and civil groups showed a 50% reduction in incident reporting time and increased public participation in crisis response. This project demonstrates the potential of modular, community-driven digital infrastructure in strengthening Nigeria’s emergency preparedness and response systems, offering a scalable model adaptable to other regions facing similar socio-technical barriers.
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