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Nigeria Launches Digital Postcode System To Improve Business, Emergency Services
The federal government has launched the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System to improve location identification, business access, emergency response and public service delivery across Nigeria.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the launch by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) on Thursday.
The system assigns an 11-character digital postcode to addressable buildings across the country.
Tijani said the system would help small businesses reach customers beyond their immediate locations while making it easier for emergency responders and public agencies to locate communities and deliver essential services.
“Every Nigerian deserves to be found. Every business deserves the chance to reach its customers. And every community deserves to be within reach of opportunity,” the minister said.
“Think of the small business ready to deliver beyond its neighbourhood, the family waiting for emergency help and the community that government needs to reach with essential services.
“An accurate postcode can make a meaningful difference in each of these lives.”
Unlike the existing postcode system, which generally identifies broader geographical areas, the new system provides a unique digital reference for individual buildings.
Tijani said the 11-character code is Geographic Information System-enabled and can narrow a location from the state or Federal Capital Territory to the local government area, district, area and individual building.
He said the system was part of efforts to establish the digital infrastructure needed to support President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of growing Nigeria’s economy to $1 trillion.
“As we work towards President Bola Tinubu ambition for a $1 trillion economy, we must build the foundations that allow more Nigerians to participate, trade and prosper,” he said.
Tijani clarified that the postcode identifies a building rather than an individual and can be used alongside an existing street address.
“It can also be shared with customers, delivery services, visitors and others who need to locate a building,” he said.
The minister also encouraged Nigerians to provide feedback on how easily they could find their postcodes and suggest ways the system could be improved for individuals, businesses and communities.
The launch followed the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the National Digital Addressing Policy and Digital Postcode System in March 2026 as part of Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure.
In June, the federal government began consultations with security agencies, emergency response institutions and other stakeholders on the system, with officials highlighting its potential applications in national security, public safety and service delivery.
The government also began efforts in July to integrate the digital postcode system with ministries, departments and agencies.
Officials described the system as infrastructure capable of providing location intelligence for government planning, decision-making and service delivery.
The federal government said the new system is expected to improve the way businesses, emergency services and public institutions identify and reach specific locations across the country.
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