From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), in partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), on Tuesday held a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation programme on the Local Government Proof of Address (POA) System aimed at improving security and enhancing good governance.
The event brought together key officials from the North-West, North-East, North-Central geopolitical zones, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to discuss the activation and implementation of the new system.
Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office (PEAO), Nadungu Gagare, who represented the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, described the POA initiative as a vital step in President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to tackle Nigeria’s pressing challenges. He said, “The POA initiative reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s steadfast commitment to tackling the nation’s key challenges while laying the foundation for a safer, more efficient, and prosperous Nigeria.” Gagare stressed that the system was designed to strengthen governance, enhance security, and improve service delivery at the grassroots level.
Highlighting the challenges Nigeria has faced due to the lack of accurate address data, Gagare explained, “Our nation’s inability to fully identify addresses and provide accurate data has compounded many challenges. This has made it difficult to combat criminal activities, secure communities, and plan effectively for development during budget cycles.” He stressed that the introduction of the Proof of Address System was both timely and essential for strengthening national identity management infrastructure.
The POA system will be implemented across all 774 Local Government Areas nationwide, providing every resident with a verifiable and secure address. According to Gagare, this will be integrated into administrative processes in both the public and private sectors. He said, “By enabling accurate identification and location verification, it will help curb various societal vices, contributing to a safer environment for all citizens.” He further noted that the system would reduce reliance on physical documents and eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic processes, thereby enhancing transparency and efficiency in local governance.
Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) National President, Bello Lawal, on his part called for unified support to activate the Local Government Proof of Address System.
He underscored the critical importance of activating and implementing the Local Government Proof of Address (POA) System across the country.
Lawal described the meeting as “not only timely but critical to the future of grassroots governance, national security, economic planning, and social development in our country.”
Represented by Samuel Akala, former chairman of Karu Local Government in Nasarawa State, he reminded the audience that Local Governments are the closest tier of government to the people, entrusted constitutionally with essential duties such as street naming and house numbering—functions that form the backbone of what he termed the “Addressing Ecosystem.” However, he lamented that “for too long, this core mandate has been underdeveloped, underutilised, and in many cases, entirely neglected,” resulting in a fragmented urban and rural addressing framework.
“This fragmentation,” Lawal explained, “contributes to poor service delivery, security vulnerabilities, slow emergency response, and a lack of credible data for planning and development.”
The ALGON President highlighted one of the most pressing challenges facing Local Governments: “The lack of visibility and verifiable identification of residents and locations. In many parts of our country, particularly in rural communities, households lack a recognised address. This undermines access to public services, hampers law enforcement, and renders many social interventions ineffective.”
He further emphasised the consequences of the absence of digitised and harmonised address systems, pointing out that “it makes it impossible to generate reliable databases needed for policing, tax administration, healthcare delivery, electoral transparency, and national planning. Without addresses, there is no identity; and without identity, there is no inclusion—I dare say!”
For Lawal, the Proof of Address System represents a transformational opportunity to rectify these long-standing issues. “By formalising the address identity of every household, business, and facility, local governments can build a credible, verifiable, and dynamic database of residents and physical locations within their jurisdictions,” he stated.
He stressed that when street naming and numbering are diligently carried out and linked to a centralised POA database, it will become “a critical infrastructure for financial inclusion, delivery of national identity cards, voter cards, passports, NINs, utility bills, and other address-linked credentials.”
Lawal made a direct appeal to all stakeholders present, including Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, Community Influencers, Civil Society, and Local Government Officials, urging them to “commit ourselves fully to this national cause.” He emphasised that “your mobilisation, community intelligence, and advocacy will be essential to driving public buy-in and ensuring sustainability.”
He also called on State Governments to “partner with us in aligning physical development laws with address management systems to create a unified framework across all levels.”
Expressing gratitude to development partners, Lawal singled out Residency Management System (RMS) for their “unwavering commitment, technical support, and funding of this initiative,” acknowledging their crucial role in the project’s success.
He concluded that “the Local Government Proof of Address System is not merely a technical project, it is a national imperative. It lies at the core of effective governance, national security, and inclusive development.”
He reaffirmed ALGON’s dedication to the initiative, saying, “As the National President of ALGON, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the success of this initiative, and I invite all stakeholders to join hands with us to make this vision a reality for the good of our people and the future of our nation.”
Speaking in his personal capacity, Akala expressed strong ownership of the project. “ALGON owns the project; it is our baby, and the President values it because of the benefits it will add to our governance system,” he said.
He described the meeting as “not only timely but crucial for grassroots governance and national security,” adding, “No citizen resides in the federal or state government but in local governments, hence it makes it imperative for all stakeholders to join hands with us to make this vision a reality for the good of our people and the future of our nation.”
Several State Secretaries to the Government (SSGs) also voiced their support for the initiative. The Niger State SSG applauded ALGON for taking ownership and urged total commitment to the project. The Plateau State representative remarked, “If the LGAs can plan their cities, it will make the implementation easier. The key thing to get a simple address system is to take time to plan our towns.”
Zamfara State, a region grappling with insecurity, pledged full commitment to the project. “Zamfara is one of the states bedevilled by insecurity, and this project will benefit us with good governance, enhanced security architecture, and improved service delivery,” the Zamfara State government representative stated.
Kaduna State’s SSG described the programme as “quite apt and very important,” emphasising that the Proof of Address system would assist government planning for both security and economic development. “Kaduna will key into this concept,” he affirmed.
The Borno State SSG highlighted the importance of collaboration, saying, “Partnership has far-reaching implications for the security and economy of the state.” Borno had recently inaugurated a committee on street naming as part of its preparations for the system.
Benue State officials, acknowledging recent security challenges, expressed their full commitment to the project. “Benue is bleeding because of incidents in recent days. This project is important, and we are totally committed to ensuring its success,” they said.