Nigeria approves new national address system to scale e-commerce

The Federal Executive Council has approved the implementation of a GIS-enabled alphanumeric digital postcode system for Nigeria. The project will be implemented with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), a government corporation under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. The aim is to strengthen postal operations across the country.

The new digital postcode system will combine letters and numbers linked to exact map locations using GIS (Geographic Information System). Each location will receive a unique code.

GIS is a mapping technology used by platforms such as Google Maps. With this system, Nigerian addresses will be linked to map coordinates so they can be located digitally. Instead of describing a house location, a user can share a postcode that leads directly to the address.

A postal code, also known as a postcode, is a group of numbers or letters added to a postal address to help sort and deliver mail. Nigeria introduced an analog postcode system in 1986.

The first post office in Nigeria was established by British colonial authorities in Lagos in 1852 and operated as part of the British postal system.

The current system uses six digits. The first digit identifies the regional zone (1–9). The remaining digits narrow the address to districts, post offices, or delivery units.

“We will introduce a modern, geospatial addressing system that improves accuracy across the country and enables faster and more reliable mail and parcel processing,” said Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

According to the government, the Digital Postcode System will support national planning, emergency response, logistics, e-commerce, and the delivery of government services.

The project is part of NIPOST’s effort to modernise postal and logistics operations as government services move online. In May 2025, the agency introduced an automated payment system for inbound postal items in partnership with Paystack.

Postmaster General and CEO Tola Odeyemi said NIPOST exceeded ₦10 billion in annual revenue in 2024 after digitising parts of its operations and reducing leakages.

In 2022, NIPOST and the National Population Commission (NPC) signed a similar agreement to digitise the postcode system. The new initiative now has full approval from the federal government.

Last updated: March 5, 2026