KEY POINTS
- Nigeria will launch a digital alphanumeric postcode system this year, assigning every building a unique code.
- The Federal Government says it will boost commerce, strengthen security and cut delivery costs.
- NIPOST puts the cost of misdeliveries at N50bn to N80bn yearly.
The Federal Government says Nigeria’s Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System, due to launch this year, will transform commerce, strengthen security and sharply cut delivery costs nationwide. The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, made the case at the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System workshop in Abuja.
A foundation for the digital economy
Tijani described the initiative as critical national infrastructure that tackles Nigeria’s long-standing addressing problem. According to him, the system underpins far more than logistics. “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,” he said.
Moreover, the minister stressed that the project sits at the heart of the ministry’s agenda. “What we’re here to introduce is not just a policy. For us at the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, this is foundational and core to what we’re building,” he said. Furthermore, he explained that the scheme will assign every building in Nigeria a unique alphanumeric code, which enables precise location identification and supports the country’s digital transformation.
Cutting losses from poor addressing
On the economic case, the Postmaster General and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Postal Service, Tola Odeyemi, said the system would curb heavy losses tied to inaccurate addresses. According to her, the cost of misdeliveries already runs high. “Right now, in Nigeria, the cost of misdeliveries is anywhere from N50 billion to N80 billion because people are just running around not knowing where to deliver,” she said.
Consequently, Odeyemi said accurate location data would improve routing, delivery pricing and logistics planning across the country. In addition, she sought to ease privacy concerns, assuring Nigerians that the agency had built adequate safeguards and would strictly control access to address data.
Ultimately, both officials framed the postcode system as a building block for trade, security and service delivery rather than a stand-alone reform. By giving each property a precise identity, the government hopes to widen e-commerce, sharpen emergency response and trim the costs that poor addressing imposes on businesses and households alike. The planned rollout this year, they said, would move the country closer to a modern, data-driven economy.
