The Federal Government has launched a national digital alphanumeric postcode system designed to improve location identification, service delivery and access to opportunities across Nigeria.
The system, launched on Thursday by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), assigns an 11-character digital postcode to addressable buildings nationwide.
The Federal Executive Council approved 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 engaging security agencies, emergency response institutions and other stakeholders on the system, highlighting its potential applications in national security, public safety and public service delivery.
How the digital postcode works
Speaking at the launch, Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said the system would help small businesses reach customers beyond their immediate locations.
He also said the system would enable emergency responders and public agencies to locate communities more easily 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 the government needs to reach with essential services.
“An accurate postcode can make a meaningful difference in each of these lives.”
According to Tijani, the 11-character code is GIS-enabled and can narrow a location from the state or Federal Capital Territory to the local government area, district, area and individual building.
Homeowner names reportedly exposed
However, the rollout has raised privacy concerns following an assessment of the application on Friday.
The report said the application allows users to search for locations using places, postcodes and aliases while providing digital references for individual buildings.
Unlike the existing postcode system, which generally identifies broader geographical areas, the new platform assigns specific codes to individual buildings.
According to TheCable, searches using building postcodes returned information linked to specific properties.
The report said the application displayed homeowners’ names, building status, including whether a property was residential or non-residential, and architectural details such as whether a building was a bungalow or duplex.
It also reportedly allowed users to search for a homeowner’s address using the person’s name.
The reported exposure raises questions about how personal property and location information is being made accessible through the new national addressing infrastructure.
