NIPOST, NIMC partner to integrate digital identity, address systems

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate Nigeria’s digital identity and national addressing systems to improve public service delivery, logistics, planning and digital governance.

The agreement, signed on Friday in Abuja, will align the National Digital Postcode system with the National Identification Number (NIN) platform to support the development of a unified digital infrastructure.

The MoU was signed by Tola Odeyemi, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of NIPOST, and Abisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC.

Speaking at the ceremony, Odeyemi said the partnership would strengthen the use of identity and location data in government planning, service delivery and logistics.

She said integrating identity and location information would improve access to public services, enhance emergency response and support location-based planning.

“The agreement reflects the kind of country we are building, where citizens can be properly identified and their locations accurately structured,” Odeyemi said.

She said the National Digital Postcode initiative provides the framework for a national addressing system, while the National Identification Number remains the country’s identity platform.

Odeyemi added that the collaboration would focus on the use of postcode infrastructure alongside the NIN while ensuring compliance with data protection, security and governance standards.

“At NIPOST, we believe national development is strongest when every person can be identified, every location can be reached and every community can be connected to opportunity. Every modern economy depends on two critical capabilities: knowing who people are and knowing where they are,” she said.

Coker-Odusote said the partnership would support an integrated digital system where identity and location data can be used to improve governance, economic participation and service delivery.

She said the NIMC Act 2026 expanded the commission’s mandate, making it responsible for Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure for identity and the Root Certification Authority for the National Public Key Infrastructure.

According to her, the expanded mandate provides an identity framework to support government services, digital transactions, electronic signatures and other digital interactions.

Coker-Odusote said integrating the National Identity Database with the national postcode infrastructure would improve access to government services, financial products, healthcare, education, emergency interventions, logistics and e-commerce.

She added that the initiative would support better planning, improve transparency, strengthen beneficiary targeting for government programmes and enhance policy implementation across sectors.