The Federal Government on Monday officially launched a nationwide sensitisation campaign for the implementation of the Local Government Proof of Address (POA) System. The campaign was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, during a stakeholder engagement session held for northern geopolitical stakeholders in collaboration with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

Represented by Engr. Nadungu Gagare, Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Akume explained that the POA system aims to assign every resident in Nigeria a verifiable and secure address, seamlessly integrated into public and private sector services.

In a statement by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations at the OSGF, Akume described the initiative as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—targeting improved security, better grassroots governance, and enhanced service delivery nationwide.

He added that the system, to be deployed across all 774 local government areas, is vital for curbing insecurity, fostering transparency, and addressing various social and administrative challenges. It will also support more efficient allocation of government resources and infrastructure.

ALGON National President, Hon. (Engr.) Bello Lawal, represented by his adviser and former Karu LGA Chairman Simon Akala, highlighted the POA system’s potential to transform national services—linking it to initiatives such as street naming and numbering. He stressed its foundational importance for financial inclusion, voter registration, identity card issuance, passport services, and utility delivery.

Calling it a “critical national project,” Akala urged traditional leaders, civil society, and local authorities to support the campaign for sustainable development at the community level.

The Postmaster General of NIPOST, Tola Adeyemi—represented by Mrs. Rose Ismaila—pledged full institutional support, noting NIPOST’s mandate to manage a national addressing and digital postcode system. She confirmed that efforts are underway with ALGON to align street names with accurate postcodes and assign every building in Nigeria a Digital Alpha Numeric Postcode.

Ismaila emphasized that a credible address system is crucial not just for postal services, but also for emergency response, healthcare, e-commerce, and national planning.

The launch of the sensitisation campaign marks a significant push by the Federal Government to upgrade grassroots administrative infrastructure. Stakeholders present welcomed the initiative and called for ongoing cooperation among all levels of government, the private sector, and local communities to ensure its nationwide success.