The Federal Government has officially rolled out the Local Government Proof of Address (POA) project, a landmark initiative designed to strengthen national security, improve citizen identification, and enhance service delivery across the country.

The project, initiated by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), was formally approved through a circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) dated October 29, 2025, with reference number 5964B/S,13/VBA/T.IIIA/704. According to the circular, the POA scheme took effect from October 1, 2025.

Under the new directive, all federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), government-owned corporations, and public institutions are mandated to replace the long-standing use of utility bills as proof of residence with the standardized Proof of Address issued at the local government level.

The POA project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eight-point development agenda, particularly in the areas of governance reform, security enhancement, and institutional efficiency. It is domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) serving as the coordinating federal agency.

For years, the reliance on utility bills as proof of residence has posed major challenges. Many Nigerians do not have utility bills in their names, while others rely on outdated or shared documents that do not accurately reflect their current place of residence. In addition, the increasing use of digital services and prepaid utilities has further reduced the reliability of utility bills as a credible verification tool.

Similarly, while the National Identification Number (NIN) remains a critical component of Nigeria’s identity management framework, a significant number of NIN records do not capture current or accurate residential addresses, limiting their effectiveness for residency verification, security profiling, and service planning. The POA is therefore designed to fill this critical gap by providing verified, location-specific, and up-to-date address information directly linked to local governments.

The POA framework places residency verification at the grassroots, where local authorities have better knowledge of their communities. By anchoring address verification at the local government level, the initiative is expected to improve community-level intelligence, crime prevention, emergency response, and population data accuracy.

Beyond security, the Proof of Address data is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits, including improved public service delivery, equitable resource allocation, disaster management planning, urban development, and social intervention targeting. Accurate address data will also support financial inclusion, electoral planning, and national statistics.

Implementation of the POA project is currently at varying stages across federal and state institutions. The circular directs state governments to lead awareness and sensitisation efforts within their jurisdictions, with technical and institutional support from the OSGF, NIPOST, and ALGON.

Stakeholders believe that as adoption gains momentum nationwide, the Proof of Address system will become a foundational pillar for governance, helping to restore integrity to public documentation processes while strengthening Nigeria’s overall security architecture and administrative efficiency. (The Guardian)

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