In a major step toward developing a modern, digitised national addressing system, the National Addressing Council (NAC) has ratified a preliminary framework to coordinate implementation across key public institutions.
Vice President Kashim Shettima chaired the meeting where this decision was taken in Abuja on Monday
Under the new framework, the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation will serve as the Council’s secretariat, coordinating implementation and ensuring collaboration among participating agencies.
According to Vice President Shettima, the initiative is aimed at creating an addressing system that supports economic activity, public service delivery security and national planning.
“Wherever a citizen lives, wherever a business operates, wherever help is required, Nigeria should find the address,” he said.
He described a functional addressing system as a critical link between citizens, businesses and government institutions, noting that the inability to accurately locate people and businesses weakens planning, commerce, security and social intervention programmes.
He added that the proposed digital framework must integrate seamlessly with identity management systems, government databases and other digital public infrastructure.
To ensure effective implementation, the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation will coordinate technical execution, interoperability standards and systems integration.
Other agencies were assigned specific responsibilities as part of the initiative. The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will oversee identity verification and authentication, while the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) will support business address verification. Additionally, the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) will manage postcode administration and postal infrastructure. Finally, state and local government councils will work through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to drive implementation at the community level.
Other stakeholders expected to support the initiative include the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and private-sector operators.