The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has said the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System (NDAPS) will enhance national security and public safety. He spoke Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders' engagement themed 'Operationalising the Nigerian Digital Alphanumeric Postcode for National Security and Public Safety.' Ribadu was represented by Gen. Adamu Kaka, Head of the National Centre for Counter Terrorism (NCCT). The system will improve intelligence gathering, emergency response, border security, and law enforcement operations through accurate location of persons and incidents.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Tijani Bosun, said the first set of alphanumeric codes for areas and states will be released in October. He is pushing for coverage across a significant number of states before the end of the year. According to Bosun, every building in Nigeria, including those in rural areas, will receive a unique code. He described the project as a major legacy initiative backed by President Bola Tinubu and supported with budgetary allocations.
Post Master General of NIPOST, Mrs. Tola Odeyemi, said the administration wants citizens to know they are seen. She linked the postcode system to the National Identity Number (NIN), stating that knowing who people are is no longer enough—government now needs to know where they are for planning. Odeyemi noted that misdelivery costs in Nigeria range from N50 billion to N80 billion annually. The NDAPS, she added, will reduce delivery costs, improve commerce, and lower environmental and operational inefficiencies caused by poor addressing.
Nuhu Ribadu claims the new postcode system will boost national security, yet the same administration has not resolved long-standing failures in identity verification despite having the NIN. The postcode rollout depends on accurate location data, but millions remain unverified under the existing NIN system. If the government cannot confirm who Nigerians are, knowing where they are becomes a technical exercise with limited security value. The project may streamline deliveries, but its security claims rest on a foundation that remains unsecured.
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