The Federal Government has officially launched the Local Government Proof of Address (POA) project, a major reform aimed at strengthening national security, improving citizen identification, and enhancing service delivery nationwide.
The initiative, developed by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), received formal approval through a circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) on October 29, 2025 (Ref: 5964B/S,13/VBA/T.IIIA/704). The circular confirms that the POA scheme took effect from October 1, 2025.
Under the new policy, all federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), government-owned corporations, and public institutions are required to discontinue the use of utility bills as proof of residence. In their place, a standardized Proof of Address issued by local governments will now serve as the official and accepted document for address verification.
The POA project is closely aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eight-point development agenda, particularly its focus on governance reform, security strengthening, and institutional efficiency. The programme is domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) designated as the coordinating federal agency.
For decades, the use of utility bills as proof of residence has created significant challenges. Many citizens do not have utility accounts in their names, while others rely on shared or outdated documents that fail to reflect their current addresses. The growing adoption of prepaid utilities and digital services has further diminished the reliability of utility bills as a credible means of residency verification.
Although the National Identification Number (NIN) remains central to Nigeria’s identity management system, many NIN records lack accurate or up-to-date residential address information. This limitation reduces their effectiveness for security profiling, residency verification, and evidence-based service planning. The Proof of Address initiative is designed to bridge this gap by providing verified, location-specific, and regularly updated address data tied directly to local governments.
By placing address verification at the grassroots, where local authorities possess deeper knowledge of their communities, the POA framework is expected to strengthen community-level intelligence, improve crime prevention, enhance emergency response, and increase the accuracy of population data.
Beyond security considerations, the POA system is projected to deliver broad socio-economic benefits. These include improved public service delivery, fairer resource allocation, better disaster preparedness, enhanced urban planning, and more effective targeting of social intervention programmes. Reliable address data will also support financial inclusion, electoral processes, and national statistical planning.
Implementation of the POA project is currently progressing at different stages across federal and state institutions. The circular mandates state governments to spearhead awareness and sensitization campaigns within their jurisdictions, supported technically and institutionally by the OSGF, NIPOST, and ALGON.
As nationwide adoption gathers pace, stakeholders believe the Local Government Proof of Address system will emerge as a cornerstone of effective governance—restoring credibility to public documentation, reinforcing Nigeria’s security architecture, and significantly improving administrative efficiency.
