By Maryam Shuaibu
The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce a nationwide digital postcode system aimed at improving security, enhancing emergency response services, combating fraud and supporting the growth of e-commerce across Nigeria.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Monday during the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System Workshop held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.
The workshop was themed, “Operationalising the Nigerian Digital Postcode for National Security and Public Safety.”
According to the minister, the initiative will provide every building in Nigeria with a unique digital address, including properties located in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
He said the system is expected to enable security agencies, businesses and government institutions to accurately identify and locate individuals, residences and commercial properties across the country.
Mr Tijani revealed that the first phase of the rollout is scheduled to begin in October, with several states expected to be covered before the end of the year.
“The first set of locations, areas and states will be released in October this year, and I’m pushing them hard to ensure that we cover a significant number of states before the end of the year,” he said.
The minister described the project as a critical national infrastructure designed to address the long-standing challenge of inadequate and unreliable addressing systems in Nigeria.
He noted that effective security operations depend heavily on accurate location data, timely responses and efficient coordination among relevant agencies.
According to him, the absence of a standardised address system has complicated criminal investigations, emergency interventions and identity verification processes, while creating opportunities for fraud and other illicit activities.
“In some cases, evidence shows that it has enabled fraud because identity verification systems could not consistently anchor people to physical locations. So even when you know the people by their name or BVN, where do you go to find them? It is still a major problem,” he added.
Mr Tijani explained that the digital postcode platform would strengthen the operations of agencies including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
He added that the system would support faster emergency response, improve crime scene identification, strengthen border security and enhance anti-money laundering investigations through reliable address verification.
The minister stressed that the initiative is not a pilot project but a full-scale national programme backed by the Federal Government.
“We’re not piloting; we’re actually launching a system. It is not a surveillance app. It is a national infrastructure,” he noted.
He further disclosed that the project forms part of broader digital infrastructure investments being implemented by the government, including the deployment of 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable, the construction of 3,700 telecommunications towers and efforts to improve satellite connectivity nationwide.