Nigeria Approves Framework for Verified Digital Addresses Across Nation

Nigeria has taken a significant step towards modernizing its infrastructure with the approval of a framework for a national digital addressing system. The initiative, announced by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday in Abuja, aims to assign every citizen and registered business a verified digital address.

The decision was reached at a National Addressing Council (NAC) meeting attended by stakeholders from both public and private sectors. According to Stanley Nkwocha, spokesperson for the Office of the Vice President, this system will link verified identities to corresponding addresses, supporting financial inclusion, security initiatives, emergency response capabilities, and national planning efforts.

Key Components of the New Framework

The framework outlines specific responsibilities for various government agencies:

  • National Identity Management Commission (NIMC): Responsible for individual address verification and authentication\n* Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC): Will verify business addresses\n* Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST): Retains authority over postcode administration and postal infrastructure\n* Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation: Serves as the secretariat, coordinating implementation

State and local governments will drive community-level adoption through their respective forums. Additionally, agencies like NITDA, NDPC, ONSA, CBN, and NCC are expected to contribute specialized expertise.

Addressing Past Challenges

The initiative seeks to resolve issues with previous addressing frameworks that were deemed narrow in scope – focusing primarily on mail delivery rather than comprehensive digital applications. Special Assistant on ICT Policy Salihu Ibrahim-Dasuki noted that the 2017 National Addressing Policy contained institutional misalignments, including assigning citizen verification duties to the National Bureau of Statistics.

According to NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker, earlier progress was hampered by agency coordination challenges—a problem now being addressed through the Vice President’s leadership in harmonizing efforts. This unified approach aims to ensure a cohesive implementation across all levels of government and relevant sectors.