Nigerians can now identify their residential addresses and obtain building-specific digital postcodes through the Federal Government’s National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System, introduced by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).
The platform, launched nationwide on October 1, 2026, assigns an 11-character alphanumeric code to every addressable building to improve location identification and make it easier for individuals and organisations to locate specific properties.
Through the system, users can search for addresses using house numbers, street names, neighbourhoods, place names, existing postcodes and alternative property descriptions, known as aliases. Some listings also include homeowners’ names where such names are commonly used to identify buildings within a community.
How to Find Your Digital Postcode
Residents can access the service through the official NIPOST postcode portal at postcode.gov.ng.
After opening the website, users should select the “Find my postcode” option and enter available details about their property. These may include a house number, street name, neighbourhood or another description that can help identify the location.
The platform also supports searches by place names, postcodes and aliases where such information is available.
Once the search results appear, users should select the listing that corresponds to their address and examine the accompanying map to establish whether it identifies the correct building.
Checking nearby streets, adjoining properties and familiar landmarks can help prevent users from selecting the wrong location, particularly in densely populated neighbourhoods where buildings may be close together.
NIPOST also provides an option to download its postcode application through the official website. The Android version is available on Google Play, while the iOS version is listed as coming soon.
Why Some Buildings Appear Under Homeowners’ Names
Some properties on the platform may be listed using the names of their owners rather than conventional street addresses.
This is because data collectors recorded both formal addresses and the informal descriptions residents use to identify buildings, according to NIPOST Postmaster-General, Tola Odeyemi.
“During ground data collection, we collected standard or informal addresses of buildings,” she said, according to a report by TheCable.
In areas where streets are unnamed or buildings lack clearly displayed house numbers, residents may rely on a property owner’s name to distinguish one building from another.
Users who want to determine whether their names appear in the database can examine the description attached to their buildings or search for their names if they are commonly used as property identifiers.
However, failure to find a building through a name search does not automatically indicate that the property is absent from the system. The digital postcode is associated with the building or addressable location rather than the homeowner or occupant.
How to Locate Your Building Using Your Phone
Residents who are physically present at or near their homes can also use the application’s location feature to identify their properties.
To do this, they should activate their phone’s location service and grant the application permission to access their location when prompted.
After opening the application, users can select “Find My Postcode” to display their position and nearby buildings on the map.
They should then locate the correct property and select it to retrieve its assigned digital postcode.
Because adjoining buildings may have different codes, users should carefully confirm the selected property before saving or sharing the information.
How to Correct Wrong Addresses or Request Missing Postcodes
The platform also provides a means for residents to report inaccurate property information and request postcodes for buildings that do not yet appear to have one.
Where an address contains incorrect details, users can submit a proposed correction through the available reporting option.
For buildings without assigned postcodes, residents can submit a request through the website or mobile application, providing relevant address details and location information to help identify the property.
A Google Maps link may also be supplied to make it easier to pinpoint the building.
NIPOST reviews submissions involving missing postcodes and proposed corrections before making changes to its records. Consequently, submitting a request does not necessarily mean the information will be updated immediately.
One Building, One Postcode
The digital addressing system is designed to identify buildings rather than individual residents.
This means that people living in the same property can use the same digital postcode alongside their conventional written address. Residents who relocate to another building will need to use the code assigned to their new location.
The initiative is intended to strengthen address identification across the country and support services that depend on accurate location information, including mail delivery, logistics, emergency response and public service delivery.
According to information provided on the official platform, searching for, saving and sharing a digital postcode is free.
Residents are encouraged to verify their building’s location and address details before relying on the assigned code for deliveries, official transactions or other services requiring accurate location information.
