A geospatial technology expert, Asiwaju Oladimeji has explained how Nigeria’s new alphanumeric postcode system, scheduled to go live on October 1, 2026, will transform the country’s addressing system and make it easier to locate individual homes and buildings.
Oladimeji spoke on the development during a discussion on Adamimogo 105.1FM Ibadan’s programme, General Issues, where he explained that every building in Nigeria is expected to have a unique postcode that can be used to accurately identify and locate it.
According to him, the system will eliminate the difficulty associated with describing locations using landmarks, streets or informal directions, as the unique postcode assigned to a building will allow it to be located digitally.
He explained that the system is designed to make deliveries more efficient, noting that anyone sending a parcel would only need the recipient’s postcode to locate the exact building through mapping technology.
“Once you put your address and postcode, if somebody wants to drop a parcel or anything, all they need to do is put your postcode into the map and wherever they are coming from, they will not miss your house,” he explained.
Oladimeji said the system could also make government interventions more efficient by allowing authorities to deliver relief materials and other services directly to beneficiaries without requiring them to gather at designated collection points.
He explained that the development of the postcode system was based on the enumeration of buildings across the country, with the National Population Commission (NPC) having already undertaken extensive building enumeration.
According to him, the National Population Commission had, between 2015 and 2022, captured buildings and other structures across Nigeria through satellite imaging and assigned unique identification numbers to them based on their states, local governments, wards and localities.
He said the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) leveraged the existing NPC data rather than starting the enumeration process from scratch.
Oladimeji explained that the country would be divided into smaller geographical units known as Postcode Areas (PCAs), with each PCA covering no more than two hectares and containing no more than 99 building delivery points.
He added that 400 contiguous PCAs would constitute a postcode district, while individual buildings would subsequently receive unique postcode units.
He said the resulting postcode would contain information identifying the state, local government, postcode district, postcode area and individual building.
Using Oyo State as an example, Oladimeji said the first two letters of the postcode would be “OY”, followed by other codes identifying the relevant geographical areas and the building itself.
He described the resulting system as an 11-digit unique identifier for individual buildings.
Oladimeji also dismissed concerns about changes to buildings after the initial enumeration, explaining that the system was designed to accommodate new buildings and demolished structures.
He said where a building captured during the 2022 enumeration had subsequently been demolished, the geographical location or parcel of land would retain its identity, while new construction on the same location could be updated in the system.
“Data must be updated on a regular basis. The beauty of the postcode solution is that it takes care of whether the building has been demolished or whether there is a new building,” he said.
He stressed that the postcode system was not intended to replace the responsibilities of town planning authorities or determine whether a building was legally approved.
According to him, a building could have a postcode irrespective of its planning status, while enforcement concerning illegal structures remained the responsibility of relevant authorities.
Oladimeji said the new system would have broader implications beyond postal services, describing it as a potential solution to some of Nigeria’s logistics and security challenges.
He explained that additional information associated with buildings, including whether a property was residential or commercial and other relevant attributes, could improve the ability of authorities and service providers to identify specific locations.
He said the October 1 launch would therefore mark an important step towards modernising Nigeria’s addressing infrastructure and ensuring that homes and buildings could be located more accurately.
The development, he added, would ultimately eliminate the era of giving vague directions such as locating a house “behind a mango tree” or “behind a walled building,” as every property would have a precise digital identity.
Oladimeji therefore urged Nigerians to take advantage of the system when it becomes operational, saying the new postcode structure would make it easier to locate homes, deliver goods and services, improve logistics and strengthen the country’s overall addressing system.
