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The Federal Government has launched the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System, assigning a unique digital postcode to addressable buildings across Nigeria.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the launch on Thursday, saying the system would make it easier to identify locations and connect people, businesses and communities to services and opportunities.
The system, operated by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), is expected to support services including deliveries, emergency response, public service delivery and e-commerce by providing a standard reference for locations.
‘Every Nigerian deserves to be found’
Tijani described the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System as a significant step towards a Nigeria where location information can connect people and businesses to more opportunities.
- “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,” Tijani said.
He said an accurate postcode could help a small business deliver beyond its immediate neighbourhood, allow families to provide precise locations when seeking emergency assistance and help government agencies reach communities with essential services.
- “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,” he said.
- “An accurate postcode can make a meaningful difference in each of these lives,” he added.
Tijani said accurate postcodes would also form part of the infrastructure needed to support President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
The minister urged Nigerians to find their postcodes through the official Digital Postcode website, postcode.gov.ng, and begin using and sharing them with family, friends and businesses.
How the digital postcode works
The system assigns a unique 11-character digital postcode to every addressable building in Nigeria.
The postcode uses a Geographic Information System (GIS)-enabled reference to identify locations across five levels: state, local government area, district, area and building.
This is designed to provide a standard and precise reference for identifying locations across the country.
NIPOST had earlier said the digital postcode would support services including deliveries, emergency response, public service delivery and e-commerce by providing a standard reference for locations.
Tijani also asked Nigerians to share their experiences with the system, including whether they found their postcodes easily and what they would like the system to make possible for them, their businesses and communities.
Why the new postcode matters
Nairametrics reported in August that the Federal Government’s new digital postcode system marks a shift from Nigeria’s decades-old six-digit postcode framework towards a more detailed digital addressing system.
- The rollout follows several years of efforts to improve the country’s addressing system, including initiatives by NIPOST and the National Addressing Council to establish a more coordinated framework for identifying locations.
- The Federal Executive Council approved the implementation of the GIS-enabled alphanumeric postcode system in March 2026 as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s national addressing infrastructure.
- In August, Nairametrics reported that the National Addressing Council had ratified a preliminary framework to coordinate implementation across key public institutions.
The Postmaster General, Tola Odeyemi, previously said incomplete and inconsistent addressing had created challenges for service delivery and emergency response in Nigeria, highlighting the need for a more reliable national addressing framework.
