By Progress Godfrey
ABUJA — The Federal Government on Monday said Nigeria’s digital Alphanumeric Postcode System, set for launch in October 2026, would transform commerce, improve security and significantly cut delivery costs.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this at the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System Workshop themed, ‘Operationalising the Nigerian Digital Postcode for National Security and Public Safety’, held in Abuja.
He said the initiative is a critical national infrastructure aimed at solving Nigeria’s long-standing problem of poor address systems, which has affected business operations, emergency response and security coordination.
According to him, the absence of a reliable addressing system has created inefficiencies across sectors, making it difficult to locate people, deliver services and respond quickly to incidents.
“You can’t really get many things done without a digital postcode system, and this determines whether crimes are solved at the right time, where threats are contained, and whether people’s lives are saved or not.
“What we’re here to introduce is not just a policy. I think for us at the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, this is foundational and core to what we’re building,” he said.
Tijani said each building would get a unique alphanumeric code to enable precise location tracking, noting that the system would support Nigeria’s digital infrastructure push and work without internet access.
Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Tola Odeyemi, said measures have been put in place to protect citizens’ data, emphasising that access to address information would be strictly controlled.
“Right now, in Nigeria, the cost of misdeliveries is anywhere from 50 billion to 80 billion naira for people just running around not knowing where to do it,” she said.
She explained that the system would support logistics companies with accurate delivery pricing, routing and timing through improved data precision.
Also speaking, Representative of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and National Coordinator of the National Counterterrorism Centre, Maj. Gen. Adamu Garba Laka said the initiative would strengthen national security operations through improved location intelligence and decision making.
He noted that the system would enhance coordination among security agencies, improve emergency response and support intelligence gathering. Laka added that successful implementation would depend on strong collaboration among government agencies and stakeholders to ensure effective nationwide adoption.
