The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has said that the GIS-enabled alphanumeric digital postcode system will be launched by October 2026.
He disclosed this at the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System Workshop, themed “Operationalising the Nigerian Digital Postcode for National Security and Public Safety,” held in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) on Monday.
The workshop brought together representatives of security and law enforcement agencies, emergency response institutions, government ministries and agencies, and development partners to explore practical pathways for integrating the Digital Postcode System into national operations and service delivery.
What the Minister said
Speaking at the workshop, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, explained that an alphanumeric postcode means that every single building will have a unique code, adding that even buildings in rural areas will be assigned unique codes.
- “The first set of locations, areas, and states will be released in October this year, and I am 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 Nigerian Digital Postcode System as a foundational layer of Digital Public Infrastructure.
He added that the Federal Government remains committed to ensuring that the system is operationalised and integrated across government institutions as part of efforts to build a modern, inclusive, and globally competitive digital economy.
He assured stakeholders that the innovation would serve as a national enabler for improved emergency response, public safety, logistics, e-commerce, national planning, and government service delivery.
- “The future we are building is one where every incident, every facility, every operation, and every response in Nigeria is anchored on a single, trusted location layer. When that happens, coordination becomes instantaneous, accountability becomes traceable, and response becomes precise,” he said.
More insights
In her remarks, the Postmaster General/CEO of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Tola Odeyemi, noted that for decades, incomplete and inconsistent addressing systems have constrained emergency response, investigations, intelligence gathering, and service delivery.
She said the Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System would provide a common language for location intelligence by assigning every location in the country a unique, GIS-enabled postcode that can be accurately identified and verified across systems and institutions.
- “The Digital Postcode provides trusted location intelligence, the critical layer that allows people, assets, services, and institutions to be accurately located and connected. For our security and law enforcement agencies, the possibilities are transformative,” Odeyemi said.
- She added, however, that the success of the initiative would not be determined by technology alone but by adoption.
The NIPOST boss urged stakeholders to move from awareness to implementation.
Backstory
In March this year, the Federal Executive Council approved the implementation of a GIS-enabled alphanumeric digital postcode system aimed at modernising Nigeria’s national addressing framework.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, in a post.
Nigeria has long operated a standard numeric postal code system, such as 100001 for Lagos Island, where every region, district, and delivery area is identified by a six-digit code used mainly for sorting and routing mail. This system, managed by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), has existed for decades to support basic mail delivery across the country.
However, the system has suffered from several limitations, with many locations still lacking clearly defined street names or house numbers, while a large share of addresses cannot be reliably located on a map. This has made efficient mail delivery and logistics challenging, especially in informal settlements and rapidly growing urban areas.
The GIS-enabled alphanumeric code addresses these issues by assigning each property a precise digital location, making mail delivery and logistics far more efficient while supporting digital services such as e-commerce and ride-hailing that rely on accurate location data.
With the rapid growth of Nigeria’s digital economy, accurate geospatial data has become increasingly critical.
What you should know
NIPOST has been actively transforming itself into a more digital and revenue-driven institution.
- Last year, it began plans to deliver financial services nationwide and beyond, leveraging renewed International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) and Super Agent licences that had been inactive for nearly eight years. This enables cross-border remittances and promotes greater financial inclusion.
- To modernise operations, NIPOST partnered with Paystack, Messenger, and Sendbox to launch a digital payment solution for inbound parcels.
The system integrates customs payments, real-time tracking, and door-to-door delivery, addressing long-standing customer frustrations over hidden fees and inefficient processes while boosting trust in cross-border e-commerce.
Additionally, NIPOST updated its international parcel services, requiring the payment of $80 or its naira equivalent in prepaid customs duties for shipments to the United States. (Nairametrics)
