By Jessica Dogo
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has described the Nigerian Digital Postcode Initiative as a critical tool for strengthening national security, public safety and institutional coordination across the country.
Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, the National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre, said this on Monday in Abuja, at the inaugural stakeholders’ session on the operationalisation of the Nigerian Digital Postcode for National Security and Public Safety.
The theme of the One-Day Workshop is “Operationalising the Nigerian Digital Postal Code for National Security and Public Safety”.
Laka said that though the digital postcode system would support commerce, service delivery and economic development, its implications for national security and public safety were particularly significant.
According to him, the evolving security challenges confronting the country require security agencies to continuously adopt innovative technologies capable of improving operational effectiveness.
He said that accurate identification and location of persons, places and incidents would enhance policing, intelligence gathering, emergency response, disaster management, border security, financial crime investigations and law enforcement activities.
He noted that national security was increasingly tied to the effective use of technology, data and innovation in advancing governance and public safety objectives.
He added that the digital postcode system would provide opportunity to strengthen institutional coordination, improve service delivery and enhance situational awareness among security and government agencies.
According to him, the successful implementation of the initiative will depend largely on collaboration among relevant stakeholders and institutions.
“The Nigerian digital postcode system presents an opportunity to strengthen institutional coordination, improve service delivery and enhance situational awareness across multiple sectors.
“Realising these benefits, however, will depend on our collective commitment to collaboration and implementation.”
Laka expressed optimism that discussions at the stakeholders’ session would generate valuable insights and practical recommendations to support the successful deployment of the initiative.
He reiterated ONSA’s commitment to supporting initiatives that leveraged technology and innovation to enhance national security and public safety.
He said the initiative marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and commended the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) for convening the engagement.
The national coordinator also thanked participating institutions for their commitment to the project and urged stakeholders to sustain cooperation toward achieving its objectives.
In his remarks, The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said that effective addressing of the initiative remained a foundational requirement for national development.
According to Tijani, security agencies operate in environments where timeliness, precision and coordination are critical, making an accurate location identification system indispensable.
“You cannot effectively coordinate security operations without a reliable way of identifying and locating places.
“The absence of a standard addressing system has remained a structural challenge for decades.”
The minister said that the initiative would eliminate ambiguities associated with traditional directions and improved the ability of security agencies to respond swiftly to emergencies and threats.
He said the digital postcode system would complement ongoing investments by the government in digital infrastructure, including the deployment of 90,000 Kilo Metres of fibre-optic backbone across the country.
He also said that Nigeria already possessed critical digital assets, including a robust digital identity framework and advanced electronic payment infrastructure, but lacked a comprehensive geospatial addressing system.
“We have built strong foundations with digital identity and financial systems.
“What is missing is a reliable geospatial layer that allows us to accurately identify and locate physical addresses across the country, ” he said.
Tijani said the digital postcode project would provide that missing layer and served as a national infrastructure for governance, commerce and security.
The minister explained that the initiative would benefit various security and law enforcement agencies by enabling faster dispatch of personnel, accurate crime scene identification and improved intelligence fusion.
According to him, these agencies include the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He noted that reliable address verification would also strengthen Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedures, as well as anti-money laundering investigations and border management operations.
Tijani said the lack of accurate addressing had contributed to delayed emergency responses, challenges in locating suspects and weaknesses in identity verification processes.
Earlier, the Post Master General (PMG), of NIPOST, Mrs Tola Odeyemi, said it was the President’s priority to know where Nigerians were, through digital means and plan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government is expected to inaugurate the Nigerian Digital Postcode System later in October.
It is part of efforts to establish a unified digital addressing framework for improved governance, security and economic development.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Benson Ezugwu/Deborah Coker
